AP
Poland scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday after a Russian military helicopter crossed into its airspace near the town of Braniewo, in the Warmian-Masurian region bordering Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.
According to Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces, the Mi-8 helicopter entered Polish territory at around 11:08am local time, flying roughly 300 metres inside the border before turning back. The incursion lasted about 42 seconds and was tracked throughout by Polish radar.
“The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defence,” the Operational Command said, adding that fighter jets were scrambled immediately and ground units placed on standby. Officials said Poland’s air defence crews “maintain round-the-clock surveillance and remain in constant readiness” along the border.
The breach is the latest in a run of airspace incidents along NATO’s eastern flank. A day earlier, Polish forces intercepted a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft around 40 kilometres off the Polish coast. The Operational Command said interceptions of Russian aircraft near NATO’s eastern border have risen by more than 250 percent in recent months.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has repeatedly warned that “Russia is regularly testing NATO’s eastern flank,” and Wednesday’s incursion is likely to add to pressure on the alliance to reinforce air policing along its border with Kaliningrad. No casualties or damage were reported, and the helicopter had returned to Russian airspace before Polish jets reached the area.
