Germany today sent the first two of three planned Patriot air defense units to the Polish city of Zamosc near the border with Ukraine, where they will be deployed to prevent stray missile attacks.

After two people were killed by a stray Ukrainian missile that hit the Polish village of Przewodow in November last year, and the incident sparked fears that the war in Ukraine would spill over the border, Berlin offered to deploy three of its Patriot units to Poland to help securing its airspace.

"One of the reasons why Germany will now support NATO's eastern flank in Poland with "Patriots" is of course because we have seen how quickly the conflict between Russia and Ukraine can spill over to NATO member states," Colonel Jörg Sievers told journalists in the East German city of Gnojen before the search of the "Patriot" units

Sievers, who will command the German unit in Poland, underlined the defensive nature of the "Patriot" system.

"Patriot" is strictly a defensive system and we hope that we will be able to provide enough protection there to prevent attacks or accidents like those in November," added Sievers.