A military drone crashed and exploded in Osiny, Poland, southeast of Warsaw, reportedly originating from Russia, the Polish Ministry of Defence announced Wednesday. The impact of the drone created a crater approximately six meters in diameter in a cornfield.
Lieutenant General Dariusz Malinowski, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, indicated the drone was likely a decoy. “It probably flew very low to evade our radar field” Malinowski stated.
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz characterized the incident as a provocation aimed at NATO, referencing previous unmanned aerial vehicle incursions in Romania, Lithuania and Latvia. “Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation through the use of a Russian drone. This happens at a crucial moment when peace talks are being held and there is hope for an end to the war” Kosiniak-Kamysz said, adding that Poland is building a comprehensive defense system against drones.