Russia provokes Poland, Warsaw raises fighter jets

2026-09-23 16:22:13Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Russia provokes Poland, Warsaw raises fighter jets

A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter violated Polish airspace for 42 seconds, prompting an immediate response from the Polish armed forces. The incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, September 23, near the border with the Russian region of Kaliningrad.

According to the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, the helicopter entered Polish airspace from the direction of Kaliningrad and penetrated about 300 meters into the country's airspace, where it stayed for 42 seconds.

The flight was monitored by the Polish military's radar systems. Immediately after the violation was detected, Polish fighter jets took to the air, while ground forces and military vehicles were put on alert.

The Polish Operational Command said the nature of the incident, in its assessment, indicates that Russia is testing the readiness of Poland's air defenses. The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately comment on the incident, according to Reuters.

The incident comes at a time of heightened alert in Poland over Russian attacks on Ukraine. In recent days, the Polish military has activated military aviation operations and put ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance units on alert.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued its air strikes on Ukraine. According to Ukrainian authorities, drone attacks have also hit Kiev and other cities, while the use of new jet-powered drones is posing additional difficulties for Ukrainian air defenses.

The incident in Polish airspace comes after several recent incidents that have increased the readiness of NATO countries on the eastern flank of the Alliance.


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