Poland scrambled jet fighters on Christmas Day to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane operating near Polish airspace. The Russian plane was safely escorted away from Poland.
“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 on Thursday.
The Polish statement added that several objects entered Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus on Christmas Eve.
“After detailed analysis, it was determined that these were most likely smuggling balloons, moving in accordance with the wind direction and speed,” the statement said, adding that a portion of northern Poland’s airspace was temporarily closed to civilian traffic in the interests of safety.
Smuggling balloons from Belarus, frequently loaded with cargoes of black market cigarettes, have also disrupted air traffic in Lithuania. The Belarusian government denies responsibility for these smuggling balloons, while the Lithuanians regard them as a “hybrid attack” by Russia’s ally to support the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz remarked on social media that Polish forces had a “busy” evening.
“No threat to the safety of the Republic of Poland’s airspace was detected. The situation is being monitored on an ongoing basis, and forces and resources remain in constant readiness to ensure the safety of Polish airspace,” he said.
Poland, and the rest of NATO’s eastern flank, has been on guard for Russian airspace violations as the war in Ukraine intensifies. On Tuesday, Polish and allied aircraft were deployed when Russia launched heavy airstrikes in western Ukraine, near the Polish border.
“Fighter jets were scrambled, and ground-based air-defense and radar reconnaissance systems were put on heightened readiness. These measures are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing and protecting the airspace, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened regions,” the Polish military said in a statement on Tuesday.
In September, three Russian Mig-31 warplanes violated Estonia’s airspace over the Gulf of Finland. Estonia said the “unprecedented and brazen intrusion,” which lasted for about 12 minutes, was “clear proof of Russia’s growing aggression.”
The Russians claimed their planes were flying over international waters, but Estonia sought consultations with both NATO and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Estonia told UNSC that Russia had violated its airspace on three previous occasions in 2025, as part of a “broader pattern of testing Europe’s and NATO’s resolve.”
Read the full article here