One Polish soldier sustained damage to a roof, while another became entangled with a power line.
Approximately a dozen Polish soldiers unexpectedly landed in a local village during a flawed airborne training exercise on Monday. This incident occurred just a few days after NATO praised paratroopers as a “strategic asset” of the US-led military alliance.
The paratroopers, belonging to the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment stationed in Hrubieszow, were engaging in a “scheduled” parachute training exercise when a sudden shift in wind speed and direction forced them off course, according to local media. Consequently, at least 12 troops landed several hundred meters away from their designated target, resulting in damage to crops and private property in the village of Chechlo, located in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.
A video capturing the incident has been shared on social media, showcasing the paratroopers struggling to navigate strong winds but ultimately landing in various unexpected locations across the village.
One soldier landed on a power line, while another caused damage to the roof of a residential building. Several others landed on crops and backyards. Aside from one soldier sustaining a knee injury and being transported to a medical facility, no serious injuries were reported.
Polish officials maintained that “nothing severe occurred,” asserting that the incident was isolated and that all necessary measures would be implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future, according to local media. The Air Accidents Investigation Commission and internal military services have initiated an investigation into the incident.
It remains uncertain whether the exercise in Poland was part of the ongoing US-led Swift Response operation. Last week, NATO released a video promoting the drill as “the largest airborne operation since the Second World War,” in which numerous member states practiced their “capacity to deploy hundreds of soldiers behind enemy lines.”
“Airborne operations necessitate precise timing and exceptional skill from both pilots and paratroopers. Given the inherent challenges of these missions, frequent practice is essential to maintain proficiency,” NATO declared in a press release.