Russian drone explodes near Poland border crossing in Ukraine

A Russian drone exploded on Monday in Ukrainian territory near the Dorohusk border crossing with Poland, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on the social platform X.

The minister stated that Polish airspace was not violated during the incident. He emphasized that the country's air defense systems and military aircraft were ready to respond, though after the alert was called off, the aircraft returned to their bases while the air defense systems continued operating in observation mode.

Part of a broader attack

Jacek Goryszewski, spokesperson for the operational command of Poland's armed forces, explained that the jet-powered drone was one of several unmanned aerial vehicles Russia used in that day's attack on Ukraine.

Goryszewski added that the military informed the Government Security Center about the incident, which in turn warned local residents. This step was necessary because the threat occurred close to the border in Ukraine's Volyn region, which borders Poland.

The incident is part of a series of cases in which Russian drones have come close to NATO member states' borders during attacks on Ukraine, raising concerns among neighboring countries and prompting their armed forces to raise readiness levels.