Russian Mi-8 helicopter briefly enters Polish airspace; Poland scrambles jets
A Russian military Mi-8 helicopter crossed into Polish airspace from Kaliningrad for 42 seconds on 23 September, prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets. Warsaw says Russia is 'once again testing the readiness of our air defense'.
A Russian military Mi-8 helicopter made a brief incursion into Poland’s airspace from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on Wednesday, the Polish Army Operational Command said.
The helicopter crossed into Polish airspace north of the town of Braniewo at 11:08 a.m. local time, penetrating to a maximum depth of about 300 metres (980 feet) and remaining there for 42 seconds, according to the Polish military. Polish radar systems tracked the aircraft throughout.
“Fighter aircraft were scrambled, and ground-based forces and assets remained on standby,” the Operational Command said in a statement posted on X. “The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense.”
Poland is on heightened alert for any incursion into its airspace connected with Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment on the incident.
Poland’s military said its air defence crews continue to monitor the country’s airspace around the clock.
Sources
- Reuters, “Russian military helicopter entered Polish airspace briefly, Polish army says”, https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russian-military-helicopter-entered-polish-airspace-briefly-polish-army-says-2026-09-23/
- Hromadske, “Russian Mi-8 helicopter violates Polish airspace, military says”, https://hromadske.ua/en/europa/271428-russian-mi-8-helicopter-violates-polish-airspace-military-says
- defence-blog.com, “Russian helicopter briefly crosses into Polish airspace”, https://defence-blog.com/russian-helicopter-briefly-crosses-into-polish-airspace/
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