Russian military helicopter violates Polish airspace, fighter jets scrambled

On September 23, a Russian military Mi-8 helicopter entered Polish airspace near 11:08 a.m., according to the Polish army's operational command. The helicopter, originating from the Kaliningrad region, breached Polish airspace by approximately 300 meters before exiting 42 seconds later. In response, Poland deployed fighter jets and alerted ground forces.

The military command stated that the incident suggests Russia is testing the readiness of Polish air defenses. As of now, Russia has not addressed the matter. Prime Minister Donald Tusk had previously warned on September 17 that Russia planned to conduct "hybrid" strikes on countries supporting Ukraine, including the possibility of drones or missiles entering NATO countries on the eastern flank and causing damage.

Recent months have seen drones repeatedly intruding into the airspaces of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Moreover, on September 13, Russian forces carried out drone attacks on a gas station near the Yahodyn border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, as well as on a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw.