Russian Mi-8 helicopter breaches Polish airspace for 42 seconds
A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter briefly entered Polish airspace on Tuesday near the border with Russia's Kaliningrad region. Poland scrambled fighter jets and said the incident showed Russia testing its air defense readiness.
Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command reported on Tuesday that a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter violated the country's airspace. The breach occurred at 11:08 near the village of Braniewo, close to the border with Russia's Kaliningrad region.
According to Polish military officials, the helicopter was flying from the Kaliningrad region and penetrated Polish airspace to a maximum depth of about 300 meters, remaining there for 42 seconds.
Response and monitoring
The helicopter's flight was tracked by radar systems of the Polish Armed Forces. Fighter jets were scrambled in response, while ground forces and equipment were placed on standby.
Polish military command stated that the nature of the incident indicates Russia is once again testing the readiness of the country's air defense systems. Air defense crews maintain round-the-clock observation and remain in constant readiness to ensure the security of Polish airspace.
Previous incidents
This is not the first such incident in recent days. On September 15, an unidentified drone approached the US missile defense base in Redzikowo, located in Poland's Pomeranian Voivodeship. Additionally, on September 17, a Russian attack drone crashed near the Polish border in Ukraine's Volyn region.
