Polish authorities have identified and detained two young people who operated a drone over government buildings in Warsaw on 15 September, according to spokesman for Poland’s special services coordinator Jacek Dobrzyński.
The detained individuals are a 21-year-old Ukrainian citizen and a 17-year-old Belarusian woman, TVN24 reports. Both were apprehended by the State Protection Service after the drone was spotted flying over Polish government buildings and the Belvedere Palace.
“This is a young Belarusian woman and her twenty-something colleague from Ukraine. These individuals were directly detained by State Protection Service officers. Police were notified, who also arrived at the scene and took these persons into custody,” Dobrzyński said at a press conference on 16 September.
The spokesman clarified that both individuals are in Poland legally – the Belarusian woman for several days, and the Ukrainian for eight years, according to RMF24.
Polish special services have ruled out espionage as a motive. Dobrzyński dismissed speculation about intelligence activities, stating: “We are refuting rumors that this was some massive spy operation. At this stage, no one can definitively determine this.”
The investigation points toward a violation of aviation law rather than criminal espionage. “These are young people, perhaps this resulted from carelessness, perhaps from ignorance, perhaps from the fact that they wanted to make some film here over Łazienki (Royal). Especially since they were in Łazienki Park and launched the drone from there,” Dobrzyński explained.
Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Piotr Antoni Skiba confirmed that evidence and circumstances indicate “violation of aviation law regulations, not the commission of espionage crime.” The prosecutor’s office expects to receive case materials on Wednesday.
Police secured the drone used by the detained individuals and are conducting proceedings under Article 212 of the Aviation Law. The article stipulates that anyone who violates air traffic regulations while operating an aircraft faces up to five years imprisonment.
The incident occurred on 15 September evening when Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the State Protection Service had neutralized a drone operating over government buildings and the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw. Initially, Tusk reported the detention of two Belarusian citizens, but later information revealed one detainee was Ukrainian.
Polish law prohibits drone flights over government buildings and critical infrastructure. Special markings and signs indicate no-drone zones, and operators must use the DroneTower application to register flights and check permitted areas through the DroneMap system provided by the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency.
The detained individuals are currently providing testimony at a police station, while the Internal Security Agency monitors the investigation to determine their motives for operating the drone in the restricted zone.