La Derecha Diario Poland accused Russia of an act of war after a drone crashed on the border.
In the early hours of Wednesday, a Russian drone crashed on the border with Poland, and the country's authorities accused the Kremlin of committing an act of war
Early Wednesday morning, a military drone crashed and exploded in a cornfield in eastern Poland, near the village of Osiny, causing material damage but leaving no injuries.
According to Polish authorities, the drone was of Russian origin and represents a new provocation by Moscow amid a delicate international context marked by peace negotiations related to the war in Ukraine.
The police received reports of the incident around 2 a.m. and, upon arriving at the scene, found charred metal and plastic debris. The explosion shattered windows in several nearby houses, according to reports. Authorities initially thought it was an old propeller engine part, but after a more detailed analysis, it was confirmed to be a Russian-made drone.
Poland's Defense Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated at a press conference that the drone was a Russian version of the Shahed model, of Iranian origin, equipped with a Chinese engine.
"This was another provocation carried out by the Russian Federation. It occurs at a particular moment, when peace talks are taking place and there are hopes of ending the war that Russia declared against Ukraine," the minister said. He also emphasized that actions like this represent a challenge to the security of NATO member states.
Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it will formally protest to Russia over this new incident in Polish airspace. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski described the event as "a new violation of our airspace from the east" and announced that his ministry will submit a diplomatic protest to the responsible party.
Meanwhile, the Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces posted on social media that no airspace violations from Ukraine or Belarus had been recorded during the night, which reinforces the idea that the drone may have been launched directly from Russian territory or through a covert operation.
Polish General Dariusz Malinowski indicated that the drone was a decoy model, not armed with conventional explosives, but equipped with a self-destruct charge that caused the explosion upon impact with the ground. Polish media published videos of the moment of the explosion and photographs of the remains of the device, where a motor and a propeller are clearly visible.
This incident adds to a series of air incursions that have concerned the Polish population and its Western allies since Russia launched its large-scale operation in Ukraine more than three years ago. In November 2022, a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile accidentally fell on Polish territory, killing two civilians, which caused great international alarm.
Poland, one of Ukraine's staunchest European allies, has significantly increased its defense investment. According to NATO estimates, the country will spend 4.12% of its GDP on defense in 2025, one of the highest figures in the alliance.
In addition, last March, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to offer basic military training to all adult men in the country, as part of his strategy to prepare for regional threats.
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