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Russian Mi-8 Helicopter Enters Polish Airspace Near Kaliningrad in 42-Second Violation
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A Russian military helicopter briefly violated Polish airspace near the country’s border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region on September 23, prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command reported.
According to the Operational Command, the incident occurred at 11:08 a.m. north of the town of Braniewo, near the Polish-Russian border.
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The aircraft was identified as a Russian Armed Forces Mi-8 helicopter flying from the Kaliningrad region. It entered Polish airspace to a maximum depth of approximately 300 meters and remained there for 42 seconds before leaving.
Polish military radar systems tracked the helicopter throughout the incident. In response, Poland scrambled fighter aircraft, while ground-based forces and assets were placed on standby, the command said.
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“The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense,” the Operational Command said.
The airspace violation occurred on the same day that Poland activated military aviation, air defense systems, and reconnaissance assets in response to Russian aerial strikes on Ukraine. Operations at Rzeszów and Lublin airports were temporarily suspended to allow military aircraft greater freedom to operate, with both airports later resuming normal operations.
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The incident also comes amid growing Polish concerns over potential Russian hybrid attacks. On September 17, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that attacks involving drones and missiles against countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland, represent the most likely security scenario in the coming months.
“In short: there is a real risk that drones or other types of missiles could enter the territory of one or more countries on the eastern flank, even cause destruction, while the official version would be that it was an accident,” Tusk said.
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