Warsaw: Polish fighter jets intercepted and escorted a "Russian reconnaissance aircraft" flying over international waters of the Baltic Sea near Polish airspace, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces claimed on Thursday. The aircraft was visually identified and monitored while operating close to Poland's area of responsibility, though no violation of Polish airspace was reported.
According to Anadolu Agency, the command noted that despite the holiday period, the past night was busy for Poland's air defense duty services, as expressed on US social media company X. Additionally, the military confirmed detecting and tracking objects entering Polish airspace overnight from the direction of Belarus, which were later assessed to be smuggling balloons drifting with the wind.
As a precaution, parts of the airspace over the Podlaskie region in northeast Poland were temporarily closed to civilian traffic. Polish authorities assured that the situation is being continuously monitored and that air defense forces remain on constant alert. Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated on X that all provocations over the Baltic Sea and near the border with Belarus were under the full control of the Polish Army.
Intercepts of Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea are not unusual and are part of routine NATO air-policing activities. The reference to 'objects' entering from Belarus reflects a broader pattern on Poland's eastern flank. In recent years, Poland has faced a combination of airspace incidents, GPS interference, drone sightings, and smuggling operations, often described by officials as elements of hybrid pressure rather than conventional military threats.
While most such objects turn out to be benign or criminal in nature, authorities increasingly view them through a security lens shaped by the war in Ukraine and deteriorating relations with Russia. Temporarily closing civilian airspace is a standard precaution in such cases, signaling institutional caution rather than escalation. Crucially, Polish officials emphasized monitoring and control, avoiding language that would suggest an immediate crisis.
Russia has not yet issued a statement on Poland's military claims as of the publication of this report at 1920GMT.