An unidentified object fell from the sky and exploded in a cornfield in the village of Osiny, eastern Poland, on the night of August 20, 2025.
Police said they received a report of an “explosion” in Osiny, about 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, at around 02:00 local time.
Video footage of the explosion was shared by local media, though the crash can not be directly seen.
Osiny, lubelszczyzna, ok. 100 km od granicy z Ukrainą. Policja odnalazła nadpalone, metalowe i plastikowe szczątki. https://t.co/tdwN6vQ0cq pic.twitter.com/zz3D7Wmi2V
— 1 Star (@PawelSokala) August 20, 2025
“Information about the discovery of an object, initially assessed as possibly part of an old propeller engine, was passed to the Air Operations Center – Air Component Command,” the Polish Armed Forces’ Operational Command said in a statement, adding that no violation of Polish airspace had been recorded that night from either Ukraine or Belarus.
However, Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, citing unofficial sources, reported that the object may have been a Shahed loitering munition, the type Russia has used extensively in its strikes on Ukraine.
No injuries were reported. Three buildings were damaged as a result of the explosion.
The Polish Air Force frequently scrambles fighter jets in response to Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, several of which have resulted in airspace violations. On November 15, 2022, a missile, believed to be a Ukrainian air defense interceptor fired during a Russian strike, landed in the village of Przewodów, killing two farmers.
Wider regional concern
The Osiny incident comes amid a string of unexplained drone crashes in NATO territory bordering Belarus. In July 2025, two Russian-designed Gerbera drones crossed into Lithuania, one crashing near the border and another flying over the capital Vilnius before eventually crashing inside a military training ground while carrying an explosive payload.
With their plywood-and-plastic construction, such drones are difficult to detect by radar and represent an ongoing challenge to NATO’s air defense posture.
Polish authorities have yet to provide a final assessment of what fell in Osiny, but the incident underscores growing concern that Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to spill over into neighboring NATO countries.
Polish prosecutor: Preliminary findings point to military drone
At a press conference, the head of the Lublin District Prosecutor’s Office, Prosecutor Grzegorz Trusiewicz, said preliminary findings indicate “a very high probability” that the object was a military drone.
“It was most likely damaged by explosives. However, we are unable to determine the nature of the explosives at this time,” Trusiewicz stated. He stressed that the assessment is preliminary and will be further verified by a military expert traveling to the scene.
The prosecutor added that investigators have “initially ruled out” both civilian and smuggling-related explanations. When asked about its origin, he replied: “At this time, we are unable to prove what type of aircraft it was or what country it came from.”