Poland sends protest note to Russia over drone explosion near Lublin

In the note, Warsaw voiced a strong protest to Russia over the crash and explosion of a Russian drone in the village of Osiny, stressing that the incident constitutes a violation of Russia’s obligations to respect Poland’s sovereignty as well as the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

"The Ministry considers this incident another deliberate provocation, fitting into the pattern of hybrid actions carried out by Russia against both Poland and other European states. We strongly condemn all actions by the Russian side that pose a threat to civilians, infrastructure, and air traffic safety," the statement said.

The Polish MFA demanded immediate explanations from Russia regarding the incident, including the circumstances and reasons for the drone’s appearance in Poland, as well as information on what measures Russian authorities are taking to prevent similar situations in the future.

"Russia’s unfriendly actions against Poland are being carried out in parallel with its military aggression against Ukraine, which has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties and constitutes a blatant violation of international law and fundamental humanitarian principles," the ministry added.

Explosion of a Russian drone in Poland

On the night of August 20, an explosion occurred in the Polish village of Osiny, Lublin Voivodeship. An unidentified object fell into a cornfield and then exploded.

Police found charred metal and plastic debris, but no typical crater from the blast. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Polish authorities leaned toward the version that the explosion was likely caused by a Russian Shahed drone.

Later, the Polish Defense Ministry officially confirmed that a Russian drone exploded near Lublin.