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An unidentified flying object reportedly crashed into a cornfield and exploded in the eastern Poland village of Osiny early Wednesday (August 20) morning, the Polish news agency PAP reported via the Associated Press.
The incident took place at around 2:00 a.m. local time. Local authorities found burned metal and plastic debris at the scene, as well as windows broken in nearby houses, though no injuries were reported, according to PAP.
No violations of Polish airspace from the neighboring countries of Ukraine nor Belarus were recorded prior to the incident, according to Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz later said that the object was suspected to be a drone, confirming that analysis had already begun to determine whether it was used for military or smuggling.
Both civilian and military investigators were participating in the investigation at the crash site, according to Lubin District Prosecutor Grzegorz Trusiewicz.
âWe have a lot of manpower, we have the army to help us. I hope that we will be able to finish the operation by the evening,â Trusiewicz said via the Associated Press.
Several intrusions into Polish airspace have been reported since Russia launched its invasion on Ukraine in 2022, with the country reminding others within the European Union and NATO how close it is to the ongoing war.