Another dangerous border breach incident has occurred involving Russia's military and a NATO 'eastern flank' country.
Polish military officials announced Wednesday that a Russian military helicopter made a brief incursion into Poland's sovereign airspace from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
AFP/Getty ImagesKaliningrad and Poland share a 130-mile heavily fortified frontier border, and tensions have soared ever since the Ukraine war began.
"The Mi-8 helicopter spent 42 seconds in Polish airspace and entered to a maximum depth of about 300 meters (328 yards)," the Polish Army Operational Command stated in a post on X.
Polish or NATO jets went immediately active as a result. "Fighter aircraft were scrambled, and ground-based forces and assets remained on standby. The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense," the statement said.
Poland's military framed the incident as intentional and as part of Moscow's willingness to 'test' Western readiness and resolve:
It said "the nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense". Moscow did not comment immediately.
Poland and other European Nato members have recently said Russia may be preparing attacks to test their commitment to supporting Ukraine - Moscow denies this.
The Kremlin did not immediately issue comment, but has previously repeatedly denied that there is any intent whatsoever to expand the Ukrain
