As reported by Rmf24
On December 25, 59 meteorological balloons violated Polish airspace, launched from Belarus.
The majority of them were detected in the Podlaskie and Lublin Voivodeships, which border Belarus.
During the detection, border guards and police found 13 meteorological balloons carrying contraband cigarettes and five of the actual packages. Each package contained about 1,500 packs of cigarettes. It is also known that the meteorological balloons were equipped with GPS trackers.
Polish security services do not rule out that this action could be a test of the air-objects detection system’s response. Bullets were flying at an altitude of about 9,000 meters. They not only put additional pressure on security forces but also harm civilians: in the Lublin Voivodeship, one of the balloons damaged a power line, leaving part of the region without electricity.
Reaction and Further Actions
In response, border guards and law enforcement agencies intensified joint airspace monitoring and interagency cooperation. On December 25, Poland deployed fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. Actions are also underway to determine the purpose of using meteorological balloons with contraband and violations of air borders.
This incident underscores the importance of strengthening airspace control and interagency cooperation on security issues in border areas.
59 balloons from Belarus drift into Poland for Christmas – media
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