Russia is likely testing Poland's air defense system, Polish Brigadier General Tomasz Drewniak told Radio RMF24 on Aug. 27, after a likely Russian drone flew into Polish airspace on Aug. 26 amid a mass attack on Ukraine.
An unidentified airborne object, likely a Shahed-type kamikaze drone, flew over Poland for over 30 minutes on the morning of Aug. 26 before disappearing, the Polish military said.
According to RMF24, the unidentified object has still not been found, despite a second search day involving more than a hundred Polish soldiers in the Lublin region.
The drone reportedly entered Polish airspace at 6:43 a.m. from the direction of Chervonohrad in Lviv Oblast.
"By releasing the device onto our territory, the Russians are checking how our system is raised, at what time we raise the alert forces into the air," General Drewniak told RMF24.
Poland's reaction to the drone entering its airspace can provide Russia with "a lot of valuable information, which is then useful for planning any operation," General Drewniak said.
For example, the incident demonstrates the Polish chain of command and "how much time we need from receiving a recognition signal to making a decision, a plane taking off, and so forth," he said.
Russia targeted 15 of Ukraine's 24 oblasts on Aug. 26, launching over 200 missiles and drones as part of the largest-ever aerial attack against Ukraine.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported on the evening of Aug. 26 that Ukraine downed 102 missiles and 99 drones of the 127 missiles and 109 drones launched by Russia during the attack.
"In addition, several units of UAVs were lost in location on the territory of Ukraine, two more crossed the state border with Belarus," Oleshchuk said.
The Belarusian Hajun monitoring group reported on Aug. 27 that at least six Russian drones flew off course and entered Belarus' airspace during the attack.
Dinara Khalilova
(Updated: )
