The first contingent of American troops and patriot missiles stationed in northern Poland have returned to base in Germany, with the second round scheduled to be in the country in late June or early July, says a Defence Ministry spokesman.

One hundred US troops, six Patriot missiles and around 40 military vehicles were officially welcomed in Poland on May 26 in the town of Morag for training purposes.

The first round of the air defence system and accompanying US troops have now returned to base in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Defence Ministry spokesman Robert Rochowicz has informed the PAP news agency. Further training of Polish troops stationed at the base in northern Poland will resume in the coming days when a second battery of missiles arrives.

Poland’s decision to deploy a battery of U.S. Patriot missiles just 100 kilometres from the Russian Kaliningrad border raised tensions with the Kremlin in Moscow, which sees it as a an unnecessary act of provocation. Defence Minister Bogdan Klich said earlier this year that the town of Morag was not chosen for political reasons but “only reason was the good infrastructure there.”