Poland reports Russian military helicopter incursion into its airspace

Incident near Braniewo

Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces said a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter briefly violated Polish airspace — according to Welt, the incident occurred on September 23. The helicopter approached from the direction of Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and entered Polish territory north of the town of Braniewo.

According to the command's statement on the platform X, the helicopter remained in Polish airspace for 42 seconds, penetrating up to 300 meters beyond the border. Polish fighter jets scrambled in response, while ground forces were placed on alert. "The nature of the incident suggests that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense," the Polish military leadership said.

Poland shares a 232-kilometer border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. According to Tagesspiegel, citing Reuters, the Russian embassy in Warsaw had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Part of a broader campaign, experts say

Over the past two years, Russia has repeatedly violated NATO airspace with fighter jets and drones, including in the Baltic states. According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), these are not isolated incidents but part of a coordinated Russian campaign against Europe. This reportedly includes sabotage attempts — such as the drone incident at Leipzig airport — as well as disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. The goal, the institute says, is to unsettle NATO countries, test their defense readiness and sow division within the alliance.

Poland and the Baltic states fear that Russia, facing setbacks in the war in Ukraine, could resort to provocations against NATO territory. There have recently been repeated drone attacks on targets in western Ukraine near the Polish border, and a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw was also attacked there, Welt reports.