On Monday, August 26, 2024, the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces, Major General Maciej Klisz, announced at a press briefing that during the morning missile and air attack by Russia on Ukrainian territory, a foreign object entered Polish airspace.
The Iranian Shahed-238 loitering munition, in the arsenal of Russian forces and used against Ukraine / Photo: Project Meshkat
“On Monday at 6:43 AM, an aerial object entered Polish territory near the Ukrainian city of Chervonohrad; it is likely still on Polish territory, and search operations are ongoing,” reported Major General Maciej Klisz.
He added that it is likely an unmanned aerial vehicle and is probably located in the Tyszowce municipality.
“During the massive attack on the entire territory of Ukraine, including regions adjacent to the Polish border, we are likely dealing with an incursion into Polish territory. The object was confirmed by radar at least by three stations,” added the general.
The Operational Commander of the Armed Forces reported that the object was under full control, fully monitored, and ready to be shot down. In this matter, he was in contact with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Wiesław Kukuła.
🚨 Naziemne Zespoły Poszukiwawczo-Ratownicze #WOT wspierają wojska operacyjne na terenie gminy Tyszowce. Do poszukiwań obiektu, który dziś rano wleciał w polską przestrzeń powietrzną, zostali zaangażowani żołnierze 2 Lubelskiej (#2LBOT) i 19 Nadbużańskiej (#19NBOT) Brygady Obrony… pic.twitter.com/E1Nzk7Zdoe
— Terytorialsi | Zawsze Gotowi, Zawsze Blisko! (@terytorialsi) August 26, 2024
“The object disappeared after approximately 25 kilometers into Polish territory. Due to weather conditions, I was unable to issue the command to engage it because the procedures were not met, namely the so-called visual confirmation of the object’s destruction. The object disappeared from radar systems. The object was not confirmed by either allied or Polish planes, nor was it visually confirmed by helicopters,” reported the general.
The object is likely still on Polish territory, but it cannot be ruled out that it has left, which is why the Armed Forces Operational Command has launched a search operation.
Full text of the press release:
‘We inform you that all necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace were activated this morning, and the Armed Forces Operational Command is continuously monitoring the situation as it develops.”
“At 6:43 AM, an unidentified aerial object entered Polish airspace, which was monitored by the radar systems of the country’s air defense system.”
“In accordance with the established procedures, the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces promptly activated all available forces and resources at his disposal. Fighter jets on standby and helicopters were scrambled. Additionally, ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness.”
“From the moment the object entered Polish airspace, efforts were made to visually verify it for identification before any potential neutralization. Unfortunately, due to the prevailing weather conditions, it was not possible to clearly identify the object, which prevented the decision to shoot it down.”
“At 7:16 AM, our radar systems lost the signal of the unidentified aerial object.”
“In order to verify and confirm the technical readings of the radar systems, ground and aerial searches for the possible object were initiated in the Tyszowce municipality (Lublin Voivodeship), involving Territorial Defense Forces soldiers and uniformed service officers.”
“The Armed Forces Operational Command is in constant contact with the Ukrainian side to finalize the verification of information regarding the incident.”
“In the event of additional information regarding the incident and the ongoing search, the Armed Forces Operational Command will provide updates as they become available.”
❗️Informujemy, że wszystkie niezbędne procedury mające na celu zapewnienie bezpieczeństwa polskiej przestrzeni powietrznej zostały dzisiejszego poranka uruchomione, a Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ na bieżąco monitoruje dalszy rozwój sytuacji.
O godzinie 6.43 w przestrzeń powietrzną… pic.twitter.com/i2BSroh6Yl
— Dowództwo Operacyjne (@DowOperSZ) August 26, 2024
❗️Uwaga, w południowo-wschodnim obszarze kraju może występować podwyższony poziom hałasu związany z rozpoczęciem operowania w naszej przestrzeni powietrznej polskich i sojuszniczych samolotów.
Od wczesnych godzin porannych obserwowana jest intensywna aktywność lotnictwa… pic.twitter.com/RzzTc1SsnX
— Dowództwo Operacyjne (@DowOperSZ) August 26, 2024
❗️Uwaga briefing prasowy❗️
Dzisiaj w godzinach porannych doszło do jednego z najbardziej intensywnych ataków na terytorium Ukrainy przez lotnictwo dalekiego zasięgu Federacji Rosyjskiej. Uderzenia z użyciem rakiet manewrujących, balistycznych oraz bezzałogowych statków… pic.twitter.com/HaXT535mUg— Dowództwo Operacyjne (@DowOperSZ) August 26, 2024