Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Warsaw would not “make a big issue” out of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter violating its airspace if Russia acknowledges the mistake and apologises. At the same time, he said the military is responsible for deciding whether to shoot down an aerial intruder.
Following his speech at the UN, Sikorski commented on the incident involving a Russian Mi-8 that entered Poland from the Kaliningrad region on 23 September 2026. His remarks were reported by Gazeta.pl.
The Polish foreign minister noted that such incidents may occur between neighbouring states, but the side that made the mistake must accept responsibility.
“As I said during one of my previous speeches, if the Russian side says, ‘We apologise, the pilot made a mistake,’ we will not make a big issue out of it. But whoever made the mistake must acknowledge their fault.”
Radosław Sikorski, Polish Foreign Minister
The military decides whether to shoot down aircraft
Responding to a question about the possible shooting down of Russian aircraft, Sikorski stressed that this falls within the remit of the military command. He linked any potential use of force to an assessment of whether the violation was deliberate and whether it posed a threat to citizens or property.
“If our Air Force command, the operational commander, determines that this was deliberate and that it poses a threat to property or even to the health and lives of our citizens, then our Constitution clearly states: the Polish Armed Forces defend the homeland.”
Radosław Sikorski, Polish Foreign Minister
Polish military officials suggested that Russia may have been testing the readiness of Poland’s air defence. Previously, Polish airspace had also been violated by Russian drones and missiles.
NATO says it is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to respond to violations of the airspace of member states.
