Poland Recovers Suspected Russian Military Drone From Baltic Sea Near Rusinowo
Polish Military Recovers Drone Amid Rising Tensions
Incident Overview
WARSAW, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The Polish military has pulled what appears to be a Russian drone from the sea on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, the defence minister said on Monday.
Countries on NATO's eastern flank have seen repeated drone incursions, fuelling fears of the war between Russia and Ukraine spilling over the alliance's borders.
Details of the Drone Recovery
"The military has located and recovered a drone from the Baltic Sea near the beach in Rusinowo, close to Jaroslawiec," Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X.
"Preliminary inspection indicates that it is a Russian military drone."
Russian Response and Drone Specifications
The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jacek Goryszewski, a spokesperson for the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, told private broadcaster TVN24 that the drone may have drifted in from international waters and that it appeared to be a Gerbera- cheap long-range aerial drone made of materials like plywood and foam.
Gerbera drones are often used as decoys but can also carry explosives.
"It was recovered by a hydrographic vessel off the coast of the village of Rusinowo... and is currently on the beach," he said, adding that safety inspections were underway.
Broader Security Implications
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has repeatedly warned that NATO countries should expect an increase in provocations from Moscow.
A Russian drone hit a passenger train on Ukraine's border with Poland on Sunday, shortly after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European diplomats had used the same line.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Toby Chopra)
