A Russian military drone crashed in eastern Poland early Wednesday, jolting NATO’s eastern flank just as Western leaders struggle to advance fragile peace efforts with Moscow over Ukraine.
The unmanned aircraft slammed into a cornfield near the village of Osiny, about 100 kilometers southeast of Warsaw. Local footage published by LukowTV showed a flash of light followed by a loud blast, which shattered windows in nearby homes. No injuries were reported, though police said the crash left a 6-meter-wide crater.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz accused Russia of “once again provoking NATO states.” Warsaw informed its NATO allies of the incident.
There was no comment from Moscow.
Russian drones have also crashed in Romania and Lithuania — both close to the war zone in Ukraine.
The timing of the latest crash is politically charged, coming amid high-level diplomatic wrangling over Ukraine.
The incident also revives memories of November 2022, when a missile strike killed two men in the Polish village of Przewodów near the Ukrainian border. That blast was later determined to have been caused by a stray Ukrainian air-defense missile.
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