Russian Mi-8 helicopter briefly enters Polish airspace near Kaliningrad, Poland says

On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, a Russian military Mi-8 helicopter briefly entered Polish airspace from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, according to the Polish Army Operational Command. The helicopter spent 42 seconds in Polish airspace, penetrating about 300 meters before returning. Polish fighter jets were scrambled, and ground forces were placed on standby. The Polish military described the incident as a test of air defense readiness. The Russian embassy did not immediately comment. The incident occurred hours before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York.