Russian helicopter briefly violates Polish airspace near Kaliningrad

A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter violated Polish airspace near Braniewo on Wednesday, prompting Polish fighter jets to scramble. The aircraft entered Poland from Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast at 11:08 local time, remaining for about 42 seconds and penetrating roughly 300 metres. The Operational Command assessed the incident as a possible test of Poland's air defence readiness. Polish radar systems tracked the helicopter continuously, and ground units were placed on standby. The violation occurred the same day NATO jets scrambled in response to Russian strikes on Ukraine. The incident follows a series of recent Russian provocations, including an intercepted Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft and a recovered Russian drone. Interceptions along NATO's eastern flank have increased by over 250 percent.