Russian military helicopter entered Polish airspace briefly, Polish army says

WARSAW, Sept 23 - A Russian military Mi-8 helicopter made a brief incursion into NATO member Poland's airspace from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the Polish Army Operational Command said on Wednesday.

The helicopter spent 42 seconds in Polish airspace and entered to a maximum depth of about 300 metres (328 yards), it said on X.

"Fighter aircraft were scrambled, and ground-based forces and assets remained on standby. The nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense," it said.

Poland is on heightened alert for any incursion into its airspace connected with Russia's war in Ukraine.

The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment on the incident. REUTERS