War in Ukraine: Russian drone crashes in Poland

According to the government in Warsaw, an aircraft that crashed in a cornfield in Poland was a Russian drone. " Russia is once again provoking NATO states," said Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. This is happening at a time when efforts are underway to bring peace to Ukraine , which has been attacked by Russia. All NATO allies have been informed of the incident. The Foreign Ministry announced a note of protest to Moscow. The drone crashed into a field near the town of Osiny, about 100 kilometers southeast of Warsaw, early this morning. Footage from the local portal LukowTV showed a flash of light followed by a loud bang. Windows were shattered in several nearby houses. No one was injured.

Police called by residents found burnt plastic and metal debris at the impact site. The Onet portal published images from social media showing a charred engine with a propeller. A representative of the Army High Command said the drone's engine was a model produced in China, widely available on many markets. The same applies to the onboard electronics. The explosive charge on board the drone was small and presumably intended for self-destruction. "It was definitely not a warhead for combat use." Therefore, it is suspected that the drone was a decoy. Flying objects of this type are used to distract enemy air defenses.

The drone was flying very low and was probably therefore not detected by the Polish air defense radar systems, the army representative continued. The prosecutor in charge of the investigation said the drone left a crater approximately six meters in diameter and 50 centimeters deep. It is unclear whether the explosion occurred in the air or on the ground. The impact site is approximately 120 kilometers from Poland's border with Ukraine and about 100 kilometers from the border with Belarus.

Poland, an EU and NATO member state, is one of the most important political and military supporters of Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. It also sees itself as threatened by Russia and is massively rearming. In November 2022, a rocket hit the eastern Polish village of Przewodow, killing two men. As far as is known so far, it was a stray Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile.