A Russian SU-24MR military aircraft entered Polish airspace over the Gdansk Bay area of the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, allegedly due to a navigation system failure, Poland’s Operational Command reported.
The aircraft penetrated 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) into Polish airspace, remaining there for just over a minute before adjusting its course, according to a statement posted on X. Polish airspace monitoring services were in communication with their Russian counterparts, who confirmed the incursion and attributed it to a technical malfunction.
“The flight path was immediately corrected following the intervention of the Russian Armed Forces navigator,” Poland’s military command stated. The jet was reportedly operating a flight from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, a heavily militarized Russian territory bordering Poland and Lithuania.
Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak downplayed the incident, noting that Russia has long been testing and probing in the Baltic region. “This is not a recent development it has been happening for years,” Siemoniak told TVN24.
He emphasized that Poland’s defense systems detected the intrusion immediately and that the aircraft left Polish airspace after being alerted to the violation. The Polish Foreign Ministry is expected to assess the situation and determine an appropriate response.
The incident underscores ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO-member Poland, particularly in the Baltic region, where military activities and airspace violations have become increasingly common.