Poland scrambled military helicopter over unknown radar object from Belarus; flock of birds triggered alert

On September 6, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces (DORSZ) detected a radar signal showing an unknown object approaching Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus. Treating the contact as a possible airspace violation, the military scrambled a combat helicopter to visually verify the target and rule out weather anomalies that might have produced a false radar return. As a precaution, the readiness level of on-duty fighter jets was also temporarily raised.

Following the aerial inspection, DORSZ announced that no security threat to the country had materialized. The unknown radar return had been caused by a large flock of birds whose movement created echoes on the surveillance systems, briefly appearing as an approaching aircraft or drone.

The command underscored that, in the current security environment, any non-standard deviation near the border is checked with the utmost care. The episode reflects the heightened vigilance Polish forces maintain along the Belarusian frontier while monitoring closely for unauthorized aircraft or other potential incursions.