publication
2025-09-10 14:23
Night military activities using drones near the Polish border cease to be a distant threat. After the machines violated our airspace, and their remains fell on the fields, and even on a residential building, there is a question about compensation. Can victims count on protection from a housing policy? What support are they entitled to?
War actions beyond the eastern border affect not only Ukrainian citizens, but also on the safety of Polish inhabitants. The last drone attack ended with shooting down machines, but their remains are still sought after. In the rushes in the Włodawa poviat, the remains of the drone fell on the residential building. There were no victims, but the destruction remained, so the question remains: who to ask for compensation to?
Housing policies theoretically protect against drones
In the case of compensation for the destruction of a house or apartment, the first thought is to make a claim from real estate insurance against fire and random events. The policy protects not only against the effects of atmospheric phenomena or fires, but depending on its range, it may also include, for example, a vehicle impact, explosion or fall of the aircraft. The latter category includes, for example, planes or gliders, but also flying devices such as drones. In standard conditions, if the machine hit our house or the elements of the property, causing specific damage, we should report damage to the insurer and receive the benefit due. However, it turns out that protection does not work in every case.
Advertisement
Warfare is an absolute exclusion of liability
Recent events related to military operations in Ukraine rightly prompt to questions whether housing policies include a military drone (or its remains), which for various reasons crossed the Polish border. Unfortunately, the information contained in insurance conditions shows that The collapse of the drone as a result of hostilities, including foreign countries, is treated as an exclusion of the insurer's liability and prevents compensation. In the GTC in PZU we read that the insurer is not responsible for damages that arose as a result of “acts of terrorism; war (also without formal warning of war), martial law, emergency, strikes, social unrest”, other insurance companies in turn use similar exclusion.
In practice, even the “All Risk” policies, which should include all events, e.g. such as flood, theft, flooding or hitting a vehicle or aircraft, will not help here. If the drone was accidentally in our area as a result of armed conflict abroad, the insurer will refuse to pay compensation because military activities are the general exclusion of his liability.
Support from you
Since home insurance does not guarantee compensation in the event of a drone hit, can they count on any help in practice? In such situations The state takes over responsibilityand the property owner may apply for compensation from the Treasury. Practice shows that in cases, e.g. a stray rocket of a foreign country, Polish authorities can launch funds from an extraordinary budget, which are then launched by local governments.
At the local level, you can count on support from the municipality, which can organize a temporary replacement premises for the time of removing damage, provide psychological assistance and mediate on payments compensation from the state.
Military drone hit: Call the services immediately
It is worth recalling that in the case of a stray military drone, and even more so his impacts, we should immediately call the 112 emergency number or personally notify the uniformed services.
·️ In concern for safety, we urge residents: if you find shot down drones or their fragments, you should not approach them, touch them or move them. Such elements may remain dangerous and must be checked by sapper patrols.
Please, … pic.twitter.com/c6nz8dr4nj
– General Staff of the WP (@sztabgenwp) Seprsege 10, 2025
Even if the device has been knocked down and only the remains remained, keep a safe distance. Do not touch or remove or transfer the drone elements yourself, because they must be checked by sappers. It is also worth taking pictures of damage, and after disposing of the machine, make a damage report.
