German Patriot missiles to arrive soon in Poland

The German armed forces are starting to move three Patriot air defence systems to Poland.

The sophisticated units are being sent to the NATO ally to ensure protection of critical infrastructure on its border with Ukraine.

The first soldiers are expected to leave on Monday from the northern part of eastern Germany, dpa learned from security sources. The units are expected to arrive in Poland in the next few days.

Following a missile strike that hit Polish territory in November, the defence minister at the time, Christine Lambrecht, and her Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak agreed to move the Patriots from Germany to Poland.

On Monday Lambrecht resigned following a series of mishaps over the last months.

The Patriot system is a surface-to-air missile manufactured by the U.S. company Raytheon and Lockheed. It primarily used by the U.S. Army and several allied countries.

According to the U.S. State Department, the Patriot is capable of "bringing down cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defence systems."