Wednesday media review; Russia boasts a customs hit at Ukrainian airport; Poland wants crucial positions in NATO

**Conrad Wysocki:Gazeta Polska:“Where are Apaches for POLSKI?”**
"It has been 9 months since the approval of the then head of the MON by Mariusz Błaszczak of an offset agreement related to the acquisition of 96 American Apache assault helicopters. Green light for the transaction has long been issued by the US authorities, and the first Polish pilots have already returned from specialist training. Meanwhile, the current government speaks small or no more about the full matter. This raises serious concerns about the fast implementation of 1 of the key arms contracts for the Polish army. The agreement to the possible sale of Poland 96 Apache helicopters in the state-of-the-art version of the AH-64E Guardian, along with its weapons and associated equipment, was issued by the U.S. State Department last August. This allowed for further steps to be taken in the acquisition of the world's best impact helicopters. A period later, the then head of MON Mariusz Błaszczak during his visit to the US signed the first offset agreement on this issue, concerning the creation of a service and repair centre in Poland of key elements of helicopters. At that moment, the plan was to sign the main contract in 2023. Moreover, by the time we received the ordered helicopters, as part of a bridge solution, we were expected to outload 8 AH-64D units from the US. The machines were to appear this year, parallel to the return of the first pilots from specialist training, which began in the summertime of 2023 in the US. 9 months have passed since the events described. In March this year, the White House, during the visit of president Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, offered to sale 96 helicopters to Poland. The next months have passed, the first Polish pilots have already returned, and the government's chopper agreement - both fresh and leased - is gone.”