OMM Redaksiyası
Poland has accused a Russian military helicopter of briefly violating its airspace, prompting the NATO member to scramble fighter jets and place ground forces on alert, according to the BBC.
The Polish military said the Mi-8 helicopter crossed into Polish airspace from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave at 11:08 local time on Wednesday. The aircraft penetrated approximately 300 metres into Polish territory north of Braniewo and remained there for 42 seconds.
“The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defence,” Poland’s military said. Moscow has not immediately commented on the allegation.
Poland raises air-defence alert
The Polish Army Operational Command said the helicopter had been tracked by radar. Air-defence units were operating around the clock to “ensure the safety of Polish airspace”, it added.
Several Russian drones and an unarmed Russian missile have landed in Poland since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine is not a NATO member.
Last week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Russia could be preparing drone and missile strikes against Poland and other countries on NATO’s eastern flank.
Europe warns of growing hybrid threats
“In recent weeks, the Russian hybrid threat against Europeans has intensified,” Tusk said, adding that the aim was to intimidate European countries and weaken their support for Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron later said France had been targeted by Russian hybrid attacks in recent weeks. He ordered a plan to protect critical infrastructure and defence-industry facilities, while warning that the attacks would not go unanswered.
Hybrid warfare generally refers to non-military methods such as cyberattacks, sabotage and disinformation intended to pressure or destabilise an opponent. Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in such operations.
Several suspicious fires and explosions have recently been reported at defence facilities in European NATO members, including Italy, Bulgaria and Estonia. Some of the countries involved have blamed Russia.
Earlier this month, Germany accused Russia of being responsible for a drone attack at Leipzig airport in August. Moscow rejected the claim as “absurd”.
In Ukraine, a Russian drone struck a passenger train near the Polish border on 13 September, shortly after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and senior European security officials had travelled along the same route. Ukraine said the train may have been the target, while Russia said it had hit railway infrastructure.
