MoD says he was not informed about military object entering Polish airspace

Minister of National Defence, Mariusz Błaszczak, said on Thursday that the Operational Commander failed to inform him about an unidentified object entering Polish airspace.

The military object was found in a forest near Bydgoszcz (northern Poland) in late April and its origins remain a mystery although there are suspicions it could be a foreign missile.

Błaszczak told the press conference the details concerning the inspection of this case at the Armed Forces General Command (RSZ).

"It was established that on December 16, the Air Operations Centre subordinate to the Operational Commander received information from the Ukrainian side about an object approaching Polish airspace, which may be a rocket," he said.

"According to the findings of the inspection, the operational commander failed to carry out his duties by not informing me about the object that appeared in Polish airspace, nor informing the Government Centre for Security and other services associated with the procedures," Błaszczak added.

Błaszczak stressed that Air Operations Centre immediately established cooperation with the Ukrainian and the American side.

"Procedures for allied cooperation were properly launched. Combat readiness was raised and Polish and American planes were launched. The object was recorded by Polish ground radar stations. The findings of the inspection clearly indicate that the operations of the Air Operations Centre were carried out correctly," Błaszczak said.

He also said that the Air Operations Centre had informed its commander "about an unidentified object that appeared in Polish airspace".