A military drone crashed and detonated over Osiny farmland, shattering nearby windows and sparking speculation that the incident was a covert test of Poland’s air‑defence systems rather than an actual attack.
Expert on Drone Leak Test
In an interview with the Polish Press Agency, Andrzej Kiński, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Wojsko i technika,” said that the UAV that blew up over Osiny was likely a test of the integrity of Poland’s air‑defence system. Kiński noted that the drone, possibly a Gieranka‑2 based on the Iranian Shahed‑136 design, could have carried a full‑size warhead, as suggested by the shatter of windows in buildings several hundred meters away. “A 2–5 kg warhead would not produce such a strong shock wave, so the device probably carried a larger charge he added.
General Malinowski’s Statement
General Dariusz Malinowski, Deputy Commander of the Operational Forces, described the drone as a “decoy” that did not carry a combat payload but had a smaller sabotage charge. He explained that the aircraft flew very low to avoid Polish radar detection. “The engine is widely available on the Chinese market, and the payload was not large,” he told reporters after 16:00. Malinowski also stressed that the drone was highly detectable and flew low to escape detection.
Minister Kosiniak‑Kamysz on Air Defence Investments
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz outlined Poland’s long‑term strategy for anti‑aircraft and anti‑missile defence. He highlighted the decision from May last year to deploy BARBARA aerostats capable of detecting even small objects up to several thousand metres high. “The first aerostats will reach Poland in the coming months,” he said, adding that the country is accelerating the development of anti‑drone systems and investing 2 billion złoty in passive radars and UAV detection programmes.
Airspace Violations by Russian Drones
Three Russian drones have infringed the airspace of Baltic states in the past year. Two incidents in late July involved Shahed‑type aircraft that entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus – one crashing near the border and another spotted by Vilnius residents. A similar drone, found days later near the Šiauliai training area, may have been diverted by Ukrainian air defences. On 7 September, a Shahed drone with an explosive payload crashed near Rzeżyca, eastern Latvia, suspected to be a non‑targeted incident.
Explosion in Osiny
At about 02:00 on Wednesday, fragments of a military drone fell onto a cornfield in Osiny, Lublin Voivodeship. The device detonated, causing broken windows in nearby buildings. Operational Command officials confirmed that radar logs showed no breach of Polish airspace from Ukraine or Belarus the previous night. Vice‑Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz called the drone’s appearance a “Russian provocation.”
Source: Gazeta,
