Polish Minister of National Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on 20/8, "Once again, we are facing a provocation from Russia, specifically with their unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)."
According to Polish officials, the Russian military UAV entered Polish territory and detonated in a cornfield near the village of Osiny, about 100 km from Warsaw and near the border with Ukraine and Belarus. The explosion caused no casualties, but shattered windows in nearby houses.
Videos and images released by the media show the explosion occurring at night, leaving debris such as the engine and propeller. Polish General Dariusz Malinowski said it was not a suicide drone, but a decoy, though it was equipped with a self-destruct warhead.
Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that Russia repeated this "provocative act" amid ongoing peace talks regarding the conflict in Ukraine, and at a time when there was a chance for peace.
"Russia has repeatedly violated NATO airspace, and this time Poland was the target," Kosiniak-Kamysz said. "We must strengthen the operational capacity of our army and anti-UAV systems."
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski condemned the "new airspace violation from the east," adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would send a message of protest to the offending party.
Russia has not commented on the information.
Russian missiles and UAVs have reportedly flown into the airspace of NATO countries including Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania several times since the conflict in Ukraine began over three years ago. The most recent incident occurred almost a month after a Russian military UAV entered Lithuanian territory from Belarus.
The UAV flew over part of the capital Vilnius before being detected over a military training ground. The drone carried explosives, but they were not detonated. This model is believed to be the Gerbera, often used by Russia as a decoy in large-scale combined missile and UAV attacks against Ukraine.
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Location of Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Graphics: RYV |
In 2023, Poland accused Russia of flying missiles over its airspace en route to targets in Ukraine. In November 2022, a Ukrainian air defense missile fell on a Polish village near the border, killing two civilians.
Poland is one of Ukraine's strongest supporters and has taken in over one million refugees from its neighbor. Warsaw is also a major transit point for Western military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv.
Pham Giang (According to AFP)
