Polish Armed Forces Report Russian Helicopter Breaches Airspace Near Kaliningrad

A Russian military helicopter briefly violated Polish airspace on Wednesday morning, according to Polish armed forces, which reported the incursion on X. The aircraft entered from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, crossing over the Polish border town of Braniewo at 11:08 AM. The helicopter penetrated roughly 300 meters into Poland, remaining in Polish airspace for 42 seconds before Polish fighter jets were scrambled and ground troops alerted. Polish forces characterized the incident as a Russian test of air defense capabilities. The incursion follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's warning on Tuesday that Russia will continue intimidating European nations, citing a failed drone attack on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport last summer.