Warsaw flagged repeated aerial surveillance attempts near Polish airspace after a security meeting, raising concerns about growing Russian hybrid escalation.
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Defense of Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated during a press conference in Warsaw that there is increasing Russian activity near the country’s airspace. He voiced this information after a government security meeting.
“Three aircraft over three consecutive days attempted to monitor the Polish air defense system. This indicates a gradual escalation in Russia’s level of activity.”
– Kosiniak-Kamysz
The minister stressed that Poland supports constant information exchange with Ukraine regarding the air situation.
According to him, despite political disagreements in recent weeks, cooperation between the militaries of the two states remains effective, and no breaches in communication have been recorded.
According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, one of the main topics of the meeting was possible Russian actions aimed at escalating hybrid warfare.
Threats and actions in hybrid warfare
“One of the topics of today’s meeting was the threat from Russia in the form of provocations and escalation of hybrid warfare – that is, such actions as GPS jamming, various sabotage operations, various drone provocations, in which Ukrainian aircraft may also be used, captured or intercepted by Russia in recent weeks as a result of Ukraine’s intensified actions to destroy Russia’s critical infrastructure.”
– Kosiniak-Kamysz
He also noted that such drones could be used by Russia to provoke Poland, the Baltic states, Finland and Romania.
In this regard, the Polish Army, the Border Guard, the police, and the security services coordinate actions among themselves and with NATO allies on the eastern flank. He added that all countries in the region are strengthening readiness for potential incidents.
Information hygiene and support for Ukraine
Separately, the head of Poland’s Ministry of Defense urged citizens to take a critical view of information circulating in the information space, especially material aimed at sowing discord between Poles and Ukrainians.
“We will not cope if this Russian propaganda is amplified by Poles themselves. That is when the enormous danger arises, and I urge everyone to verify sources. We will fight disinformation, fake reports spread to sow panic, undermine trust in state institutions, and above all, to currently sow discord between us and Ukrainians.”
– Kosiniak-Kamysz
In this context, he believes that the Ukrainian authorities’ decision to promptly grant permissions for search and exhumation work will also help calm the situation in Polish-Ukrainian relations.
He also emphasized the need for continued support by Poland for a fighting Ukraine, which in recent weeks has endured the largest shelling by ballistic and cruise missiles since the war began.
Earlier, Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s Foreign Minister, stated that Russia could resort to provocation in the form of a false-flag operation, using Ukrainian drones to attack a NATO member country.
This context underscores the need for close coordination between Warsaw and Kyiv, as well as gratitude to Ukraine for its support in defending the region’s airspace.