Poland’s military has confirmed that a drone that exploded in eastern Poland was likely launched from Russia. The explosion occurred overnight, causing some damage to local buildings and no injuries.
Deputy Commander of Armed Forces Operational Command General Dariusz Malinowski stated that the view is based on intelligence, which indicates that the locations from where similar drones are launched are located on Russian territory.
However, it’s unclear whether the drone was intentionally launched into Polish airspace or malfunctioned while targeting Ukraine. The military drone was found to be propelled by a Chinese-produced engine.
Foreign Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated, “Russia will never admit to this.” Poland plans to send a protest note to Russia over the incident and is also informing its allies about it.
The explosion highlights the ongoing risk for European countries due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. NATO military leaders had a discussion on next steps in planning security guarantees and support for Ukraine, which was dismissed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as “clumsy” attempts to change Trump’s position on Ukraine.
In response to the incident, Poland has adopted new sanctions against entities linked with alleged Russian attempts to avoid sanctions through Kyrgyz financial systems and crypto networks. The UK government has also adopted new sanctions against Russia.
A military forensic expert confirmed that there were explosives in the drone, which is a type of Gerbera decoy drone made by Russia but powered by a Chinese engine. Poland’s deputy prime minister and defense minister Stanisław Wziątek stated that it was believed to be linked to Russia.
The incident has sparked tensions between Poland and Russia, with Poland planning to send a formal protest note to Russia. The Polish government is also emphasizing the importance of defending its territory within NATO.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/aug/20/donald-trump-ukraine-support-peace-deal-russia-nato-latest-updates-news