The Polish military scrambled fighter jets on Thursday (December 25) to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane flying near Polish airspace over the Baltic Sea. The incident comes amid growing concerns about airspace disruptions in Eastern Europe during the holiday season.
“This morning over the international waters of the Baltic Sea, Polish fighter jets intercepted, visually identified and escorted from their area of responsibility a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near the borders of Polish airspace,” the Polish military said.
Dozens of items come from Belarus
Poland’s National Security Agency announced that several dozen objects had entered Polish airspace from Belarus overnight, with four of them identified as likely smuggled balloons.
“…the massive nature of the violation of Polish airspace, its occurrence during a special holiday season, the assessment of Russian aircraft activity in the Baltic Sea and the fact that similar incidents recently occurred in Lithuania may indicate that it was a provocation disguised as a smuggling operation,” the authority said.
The Polish military also temporarily closed part of the airspace over the northeastern Podlaskie region, which borders Belarus, to ensure civilian safety.
Eastern NATO wing on alert
Poland’s actions reflect heightened vigilance among NATO countries on the alliance’s eastern flank. Since September, NATO members have faced repeated airspace incursions. That month, three Russian jets violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes after more than 20 Russian drones entered Poland.
Balloon Smuggling and “Hybrid Attacks”
Lithuania reported similar incidents of balloons from Belarus disrupting airport traffic, describing them as a “hybrid attack” linked to cigarette smuggling. Belarus has denied responsibility.
“Smuggled balloons from Belarus have repeatedly disrupted air traffic in Lithuania, forcing the closure of Vilnius airport,” Lithuanian authorities noted.
