Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command scrambled fighter jets and put ground forces on standby after a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter briefly entered Polish airspace near Braniewo on Wednesday. The aircraft flew from Kaliningrad, penetrated up to about 300 metres into Polish territory and remained inside Poland for 42 seconds before leaving.
The command said radar systems tracked the helicopter throughout the incident. Polish forces characterised the breach as a possible test of air-defence readiness, amid heightened tension along NATO’s eastern flank linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The incursion took place close to the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, a sensitive stretch of airspace that has seen repeated military scrutiny in recent years. Poland has regularly reinforced surveillance and response procedures along its eastern frontier, where airspace violations can trigger rapid fighter launches and increased alert levels for ground-based units.