Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed a drone was a Russian version of the Shahed model exploded in a cornfield, eastern Poland.
WARSAW — A Russian-made drone crashed overnight in eastern Poland, scorching a cornfield and leaving a six-meter-wide crater, Polish officials confirmed Wednesday.
The drone came down in the village of Osiny, Lublin province, about 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and 90 kilometers from Belarus.
Preliminary findings suggest the aircraft was a Russian version of the Shahed drone, originally developed by Iran, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski.
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.
General Dariusz Malinowski said the drone appeared to be a decoy designed to self-destruct, noting that it contained a Chinese-made engine.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the incident as a deliberate provocation. He drew parallels with previous cases in which Russian drones entered Lithuania and Romania, suggesting it may be tied to ongoing peace talks on Ukraine.
“Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation, with a Russian drone, at a crucial moment when discussions about peace in Ukraine are underway,” Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters.
