Polish Mi-8 incursion triggers fighter scramble near Kaliningrad

A Russian Mi-8 helicopter violated Polish airspace near Braniewo on Wednesday, prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets and put air defense systems on alert. The incursion lasted about 42 seconds, reaching a depth of roughly 300 meters. The helicopter flew from Russia's Kaliningrad region and was tracked by Polish radar throughout the incident. Polish military command assessed the incursion as a possible test of the country's air defense readiness, noting Russia is again probing NATO's eastern flank. The incident occurred the same day NATO jets were scrambled following Russian strikes on Ukraine, temporarily halting airport operations in Lublin and Rzeszow. Poland has reported a 250 percent increase in intercepts of Russian aircraft along NATO's eastern flank.