The Polish news agency says an unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in a cornfield in the country’s east.

A drone which crashed into a field in eastern Poland most likely came from the direction of Belarus, a regional prosecutor said on Thursday, following the incident described as a provocation by the defence minister.

Poland has delivered a note of protest to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw after a drone exploded inside the NATO member's borders. A spokesman for Poland's Foreign Ministry said: "This afternoon, a note of protest was delivered to the Embassy of the Russian Federation regarding the events that took place in Osinie on the night of August 19-20,

A drone believed to be a Russian Shahed variant hit the Osiny village in Poland's Lublin province, shattering windows in homes but causing no injuries to residents.

"Due to the ongoing events in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict, and Poland's role in logistically securing the transfer to Ukraine (...), the Netherlands has declared support for systems securing our airspace and air defence systems," Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news conference, welcoming the Dutch decision.

Police received the call shortly after 2:00 a.m. At the scene, officers found charred debris of various sizes — metal and plastic — scattered over dozens of meters. They said the origin of the fragments has not yet been established and that the area is still being examined.