Poland reports brief Russian military helicopter incursion near Kaliningrad border
Polish officials said a Russian Mi‑8 military helicopter entered Polish airspace from the Kaliningrad exclave, lingered for about 42 seconds over Braniewo and then departed, prompting the scrambling of fighter jets.
According to the Polish Army Operational Command, the aircraft crossed the border around 11:08 local time, penetrated a depth of roughly 300 metres and was detected on radar. Polish air defences were on standby "around the clock" to protect national airspace.
The incident follows a series of heightened tensions between Poland and Russia, with Warsaw warning that Moscow is testing NATO’s defensive readiness. Russian authorities have not yet responded, while the Russian foreign ministry has dismissed reports of military activity near NATO members as exaggerated.
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk has suggested that Russia may be planning further drone and missile strikes against NATO’s eastern flank, echoing similar concerns in Ukraine and other European states.
The helicopter involved is a Mi‑8, a medium‑tier transport/utility model used for a range of missions. The image below shows a typical Mi‑8 in flight.
