The Czech Republic is to deploy a Special Operations unit equipped with a specially modified Mi-171Š helicopter for use in counter-drone operations in Poland -- following an unprecedentedly large Russian drone incursion on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Czech Ministry of Defense, the deployment is the result of a direct request from Warsaw -- following Thursday’s phone call between Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and his Czech counterpart Jana Černochová.
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Under Czech law, all foreign military deployments require parliamentary approval. However, Poland’s request was approved because it falls under a 2024 parliamentary mandate allowing for some deployments to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria aimed at bolstering the defense of NATO’s eastern border.
Czech soldiers are already operating in Slovakia, Lithuania and Latvia under this mandate, which is valid until next year.
“Poland is our close and reliable ally and I therefore consider our assistance to be absolutely self-evident. It is important that the assistance comes quickly and that we show Russia our unity,” Černochová said.
The Defense Ministry statement added that the Mi-171Š will deploy within days under arrangements agreed between the Czech Chief of the General Staff (CGS) Karel Řehka and Poland’s CGS Wiesław Kukula.
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Řehka said that the exact make-up of the team was yet to be formalized, but that “it will not exceed 150 soldiers. We expect the deployment to last up to three months.” He added that elements of the helicopter unit already have operational experience in Poland, providing humanitarian support following major flooding events in September 2024 and July 2025.
There have been several reported instances of Russian drones crossing NATO’s eastern border -- with fragments falling over Poland and Romania. This most recent incursion is said to have involved at least 19 drones, which many NATO and EU leaders believe were intentionally dispatched into Poland.
Despite causing only minor damage, the incident has sparked discussions between NATO members about the need for joint air defense responses.
Although Ukraine is known to have used helicopters to counter Russia’s Shahed drones in some cases, many military analysts see them as a weapon of last resort -- citing conventional air defense weapons, interceptor drones and electronic warfare systems as more efficient and cost-effective options.
The same analysts say, however, that the Mi-171Š will provide a potential extra layer of drone defense. More importantly, this Czech deployment sends a signal to Russia about ongoing solidarity within the NATO alliance.
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