A Russian helicopter has breached Polish airspace over the Baltic Sea, prompting the Polish Armed Forces to take immediate action. The violation, detected by radar systems from both the Polish Armed Forces and civilian air navigation services, involved a Russian Mi-8AMTSh helicopter.
As a result of the breach, the Polish Air Defence Force was put on full combat alert, reflecting the seriousness of the incursion. The helicopter was part of the Russian Baltic Fleet, and experts believe that this may have been a deliberate move by Russia to test Polish air defences and gather intelligence on Poland’s military response to potential threats.
This is not the first time Russian aviation has violated Polish airspace. On 11 February 2025, a Russian Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft entered Polish airspace over the Gulf of Gdansk. The aircraft flew 6.5 kilometres into Polish territory and remained there for just over a minute before departing. The Russian side claimed that the breach was due to a malfunction in the aircraft’s navigation system.
Alongside these direct violations of Polish airspace, Russian aircraft frequently operate in the air defence identification zones of other nations, including those of the Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—as well as Finland and Sweden. This has led to heightened air patrols by NATO forces.
For example, Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters, stationed in Poland since April 2025, recently intercepted a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. The Swedish fighters visually identified the Russian plane, showcasing the continued tensions in the region.
