Russian jet-drone crashes near Poland, sparking air alerts and a powerful blast

During a Russian drone barrage on western Ukraine, a jet-powered unmanned aircraft crashed roughly 4 km from the Polish border, near the Dorohusk area, at about 12:45 p.m. local time. The drone had been flying from Rivne Oblast toward Volyn Oblast, which borders Poland, prompting the Polish Air Force to launch interceptor jets as a precaution. Residents of Lublin and Podkarpackie provinces received alerts about a possible air attack, and flights at Lublin and Rzeszow airports were briefly suspended.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed a “very powerful explosion” near a gas station close to the border and noted that the Russian attack on western Ukraine had concluded. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine rejected claims that a drone hit a border crossing, and Polish authorities said no violation of Polish airspace occurred. The incident comes amid a series of recent Russian strikes near the border, including a drone hit on a truck near Yahodyn on Sept. 13, and follows heightened security concerns on the anniversary of the 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland.