According to the official statement, the aircraft took off from the Kaliningrad region and penetrated Polish airspace to a depth of 6.5 km. The incursion lasted for 1 minute and 12 seconds, occurring at 14:09 local time.
Informujemy, że w dniu 11 lutego 2025 roku o godz. 14.09 we wschodniej części Zatoki Gdańskiej doszło do naruszenia przestrzeni powietrznej nad wodami terytorialnymi RP przez samolot Su-24MR Sił Zbrojnych Federacji Rosyjskiej.
Samolot, który wykonywał lot z Obwodu… pic.twitter.com/Y0dVv9fT4r
— Dowództwo Operacyjne (@DowOperSZ) February 11, 2025
Polish military radar systems tracked the aircraft throughout its flight. The aircraft altered its course immediately following intervention from a Russian Armed Forces air traffic controller.
Polish air defence units responsible for monitoring national airspace established contact with Russian authorities. The Russian side acknowledged the violation and attributed it to a navigation system failure on the Su-24MR.
The Su-24MR is a reconnaissance variant of the Su-24 tactical bomber, designed without strike capabilities. It is equipped with advanced surveillance systems, including a side-looking radar, infrared scanner, and photographic cameras.
Additionally, the aircraft can carry external reconnaissance pods for laser, radiation, and radar signal detection. When flying at high altitude, it can gather intelligence up to 400 km away.
Russian aircraft of this type regularly operate along NATO borders and over allied naval formations. Their objective is to collect radar and communication signal data, which could be used for electronic warfare or countermeasure development.
