Poland says Russian Mi-8 helicopter briefly entered airspace near Braniewo; jets scrambled

Operational Command reports a Kaliningrad-origin crossing about 300 meters deep for roughly 42 seconds; Moscow had not commented in initial BBC coverage.

Confirmed By Jordan Hale · Staff Writer — World & Politics Poland / Russia Published Sep 23, 2026, 4:47 PM PT Updated Sep 23, 2026, 4:47 PM PT

Poland’s Operational Command said a Russian military Mi-8 helicopter crossed from Kaliningrad into Polish airspace north of Braniewo on Wednesday morning, Sept. 23, according to BBC News (opens in new tab) and Kyiv Post (opens in new tab).

Warsaw said the aircraft penetrated about 300 meters and remained roughly 42 seconds. Polish radar tracked the flight; fighter jets were scrambled and ground forces stayed on alert, the command said in those accounts.

The Operational Command said the nature of the incident indicated Russia was again testing Polish air-defense readiness. BBC reported that Moscow had not commented immediately. Kyiv Post (opens in new tab) carried the same depth and duration figures and linked the episode to earlier Russian aircraft and drone incidents involving Poland.

The Event Log attributes the “testing readiness” characterization to Polish officials and notes the absence of a Russian MFA or MoD response in the initial Wednesday reports.