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Business Insider
an hour ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Poland says air defenses didn't detect a Russian drone entering its airspace, and that it only realized in the morning
Warsaw said on Wednesday that a Russian drone crashed and exploded in a field in eastern Poland, and that the uncrewed system was only discovered the morning after air defenses were activated. No one was injured, but Poland's defense minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, called the incident a provocation against NATO. "Russia is once again provoking NATO countries following drone incidents that have taken place in Romania, Lithuania, Latvia," he said, accusing the Kremlin of 10 total airspace violations since 2022. In a press conference, officials said the drone likely entered Polish airspace on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Gen. Dariusz Malinowski, deputy commander of Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command, said air defenses were put on alert that evening during one of Russia's nightly drone and missile waves against Ukraine. Warsaw regularly activates its air defenses along its border as a precaution during such attacks, especially after a stray Ukrainian defensive missile killed two Polish citizens in November 2022. Malinowski said Polish air defenses were alerted at 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, alongside "standard measures designed to seal our border." "The entire target detection system was activated. In addition, the forces and means for countering missiles were put on combat readiness, and a Mi-24 helicopter was also raised, which patrolled the eastern part, the Ukrainian part of our border," he told reporters. By midnight, the Polish military stood down because it had not detected any abnormalities or threats, Malinowski said. "Nothing had happened that would show us that something was out of the ordinary," he said. But authorities found out in the morning that a drone had exploded in a cornfield in Osiny, a village nearly 70 miles from Poland's border with Ukraine and roughly 400 miles from mainland Russia. "This morning, after sunrise, we received information, as has already been said here, about an object that exploded very close to Łuków," Malinowski said. A stealthy decoy drone with Chinese parts The general said that preliminary investigations indicated the drone was "flying very low" to avoid radar detection. "In our assessment, this drone is designed to be very difficult to detect, and that is indeed the case," he said. However, Malinowski also said that it's still unclear if the drone was flown deliberately into Poland. Neither is it immediately clear exactly when the drone entered Polish airspace. Authorities did not confirm the drone's flight path. A drone launched from mainland Russia would have to pass through either Belarus or Ukraine to enter Polish airspace. Kaliningrad, a militarized Russian exclave, sits directly on Poland's northern border, though it's unclear if investigators think the drone launch may have originated from the region. Malinowski added that while search teams were still collecting the drone's remains, initial evidence pointed to it being equipped with a Chinese engine and a "self-destructive warhead." That could mean the drone was a decoy. Russia commonly deploys the Shahed, a long-range attack drone designed by Iran. One of its locally produced versions, called the Gerbera, is designed to mimic the loitering munition's signature and appearance while carrying a much weaker warhead. Reuters cited a Polish defense ministry spokesperson saying that the crashed drone was a Russian version of the Shahed. Ukrainian forces have long said that they often find Chinese parts within destroyed Russian-produced Shahed drones. European officials also say some Russian and Chinese companies are actively collaborating on the Shahed, helping the Kremlin's forces to vastly improve the loitering munition's attack capabilities. The drone crash comes amid already tense negotiations that the US is trying to broker this month between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. Radosław Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, said in a statement on Wednesday that his country would "protest against the perpetrator." "Another violation of our airspace from the East confirms that Poland's most important mission vis-à-vis NATO is to defend our own territory," Sikorski wrote. The Russian embassy in Warsaw, the Russian defense ministry, and the Russian foreign ministry did not respond to comment requests sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.
First Post
04-07-2025
- First Post
Somalia: Uganda's Military Helicopter Crash in Mogadishu Kills Five
Somalia: Uganda's Military Helicopter Crash in Mogadishu Kills Five | Firstpost Africa Somalia: Uganda's Military Helicopter Crash in Mogadishu Kills Five | Firstpost Africa A tragic incident unfolded in Somalia as a Ugandan military helicopter crashed in the capital, Mogadishu. The chopper turned into a ball of fire upon crashing, sending out huge plumes of thick black smoke into the air. The Mi-24 helicopter crashed at the Aden Adde International Airport, killing five Ugandan soldiers out of the eight people on board. The Ugandan military said the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived with serious injuries and severe burns. The authorities have launched a probe into the crash of the chopper that was serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia. The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia helps the government fight the al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda affiliate group. See More
The Advertiser
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Five soldiers killed as helicopter crashes in Somalia
Five Ugandan soldiers are dead after a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at an airport in Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities. The Mi-24 helicopter was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board at the time of the crash in the capital on Wednesday. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission. Uganda's military said the helicopter was on "a routine combat escort mission", and the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and burns. Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations were under way. Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident, said he saw "a huge explosion and smoke everywhere". Minor delays were reported at the Aden Adde airport, but flights and other operations have since resumed. The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight al-Shabab, a rebel group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation. The mission includes troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya. Five Ugandan soldiers are dead after a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at an airport in Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities. The Mi-24 helicopter was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board at the time of the crash in the capital on Wednesday. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission. Uganda's military said the helicopter was on "a routine combat escort mission", and the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and burns. Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations were under way. Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident, said he saw "a huge explosion and smoke everywhere". Minor delays were reported at the Aden Adde airport, but flights and other operations have since resumed. The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight al-Shabab, a rebel group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation. The mission includes troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya. Five Ugandan soldiers are dead after a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at an airport in Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities. The Mi-24 helicopter was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board at the time of the crash in the capital on Wednesday. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission. Uganda's military said the helicopter was on "a routine combat escort mission", and the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and burns. Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations were under way. Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident, said he saw "a huge explosion and smoke everywhere". Minor delays were reported at the Aden Adde airport, but flights and other operations have since resumed. The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight al-Shabab, a rebel group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation. The mission includes troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya. Five Ugandan soldiers are dead after a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at an airport in Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities. The Mi-24 helicopter was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board at the time of the crash in the capital on Wednesday. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission. Uganda's military said the helicopter was on "a routine combat escort mission", and the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and burns. Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations were under way. Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident, said he saw "a huge explosion and smoke everywhere". Minor delays were reported at the Aden Adde airport, but flights and other operations have since resumed. The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight al-Shabab, a rebel group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation. The mission includes troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya.
Perth Now
03-07-2025
- Perth Now
Five soldiers killed as helicopter crashes in Somalia
Five Ugandan soldiers are dead after a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at an airport in Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities. The Mi-24 helicopter was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board at the time of the crash in the capital on Wednesday. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission. Uganda's military said the helicopter was on "a routine combat escort mission", and the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and burns. Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations were under way. Aviation officer Omar Farah, who was among the first to reach the crash site, told The Associated Press that he "saw the helicopter spinning and then it fell very fast". Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident, said he saw "a huge explosion and smoke everywhere". Minor delays were reported at the Aden Adde airport, but flights and other operations have since resumed. The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight al-Shabab, a rebel group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation. The mission includes troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya.
Toronto Star
03-07-2025
- Toronto Star
Military helicopter crashes at airport in Somalia's capital, killing 5
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Five Ugandan soldiers were killed when a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed Wednesday at an airport in the capital, Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities. The Mi-24 helicopter was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board at the time of the crash. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission.
