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Polish officials say crashed drone is Russian 'provocation'

Zac Crellin with Reuters, AFP, dpa
August 20, 2025

Preliminary findings indicate that the object which crashed into a Polish cornfield was a Russian version of the Iranian-designed Shahed drone, Polish officials have said.

Police at the site of a Russian drone crash in Osiny, Poland
The drone exploded in a corn field, leaving behind a 6-meter wide crater but no casualtiesImage: AP Photo/picture alliance

Debris of what appears to be a Russian drone crashed into a field in Poland on Wednesday, Polish authorities said.

"Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation, with a Russian drone," Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

"We are dealing in a crucial moment, when discussions about peace (in Ukraine) are underway."

Local police found burned metal and plastic in a corn field outside the village of Osiny, in the east of the country. No casualties were reported.

What do we know about the drone?

Polish media published photos of what appeared to be remains of the drone, including a charred engine and a propeller. The explosion left a crater 6 meters (20 feet) wide.

The Polish Foreign Ministry said initial findings indicated the drone was a Russian-made version of the Shahed drone — an Iranian design that is commonly used to attack Ukraine.

Polish general Dariusz Malinowski said the aircraft "was a decoy drone, which was not armed but carried a self-destruct warhead."

Ukraine: Kyiv's 'drone hunters' defend city against Russia

02:44

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Poland condemns 'violation of airspace'

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski condemned "a new violation of our airspace from the east."

"The Foreign Ministry will protest to the perpetrator of this violation," he wrote on social media.

There have been a number of incursions into Polish airspace since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, raising alarm in the EU and NATO member state.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

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