On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command (DO RSZ) announced on social media that a Russian Mi-8 multirole transport helicopter had violated Polish airspace north of Braniewo.
Illustrative photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin
„We inform you that on September 23 this year, at 11:08 a.m., north of Braniewo, a Mi-8 helicopter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation briefly violated the airspace of the Republic of Poland.
The helicopter was flying from the Kaliningrad region. It penetrated Polish airspace to a maximum depth of approximately 300 m and remained there for 42 seconds.
The aircraft’s flight was monitored by radar systems of the Polish Armed Forces. Fighter aircraft were scrambled, while ground-based forces and assets remained on alert.
The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense.
Polish air defense crews conduct round-the-clock surveillance and remain continuously ready to ensure the security of Polish airspace.”
Polish Armed Forces Operational Command
A day earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz reported another interception over the Baltic Sea of a Russian Il-20M imagery and electronic reconnaissance aircraft (NATO reporting name: Coot-A), the eleventh such interception this year.
It is also worth recalling that on the evening of April 25 last year, another Russian military helicopter of the Baltic Fleet violated Polish airspace over the country’s territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.
As for Baltic Fleet helicopter units in the Kaliningrad region, the 288th Independent Army Aviation Helicopter Regiment, equipped with Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters, is based at Nivenskoye Air Base. In addition, the 7054th Air Base at Chkalovsk also includes a Mi-8/Mi-24 helicopter squadron. The 396th Composite Helicopter Regiment at Donskoye likewise operates, among other aircraft, eight Mi-24s and four Mi-8MT/MTV/PS helicopters. In total, the Baltic Fleet operates approximately 17 Mi-8 helicopters.
❗️ Informujemy, że 23 września br. o godz. 11.08, na północ od miejscowości Braniewo, doszło do krótkotrwałego naruszenia przestrzeni powietrznej Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej przez śmigłowiec Mi-8 Sił Zbrojnych Federacji Rosyjskiej.
Śmigłowiec wykonywał lot z Obwodu Królewieckiego.… pic.twitter.com/afULQdSeTc
— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) September 23, 2026
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