NATO paratroopers land on power cables

A Polish soldier damaged a roof while another got caught in a power line

On Monday, about a dozen Polish soldiers entered a village in the south of the country in a botched airborne exercise, just days after NATO praised the paratroopers as a “strategic asset” of the US-led military bloc.

Paratroopers from the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment based in Hrubieszow were conducting a “planned” parachute exercise when, according to local media reports, a sudden change in wind speed and direction threw them off course. As a result, at least 12 soldiers landed several hundred meters from their planned target, causing damage to crops and private property in the village of Chechlo in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.

A video of the incident has emerged on social media, showing the paratroopers attempting to brave strong winds but landing in various unexpected locations around the village.

One soldier fell on a power line, while another damaged the roof of a residential building. Several others are said to have landed in fields and backyards. No serious injuries were reported, except for one soldier who suffered a knee injury and was taken to a medical facility.

Polish authorities stressed that “nothing terrible happened.” The incident was an isolated case and all necessary measures were being taken to prevent such incidents in the future, local media reported. The Aviation Accident Investigation Commission and the internal military services have launched an investigation into the incident.

It is unclear whether the exercise in Poland was part of the ongoing US-led Swift Response. Last week, NATO released a video touting the exercise as the “largest airborne operation since World War II,” with several member states practicing their “ability to deliver hundreds of troops behind enemy lines.”

“Airborne operations require precise timing and the highest level of skill from pilots and paratroopers alike. Due to the inherent difficulty of these missions, frequent practice is required to maintain skills,” NATO said in a press release.

(RT.com)