The Polish military reported a violation of the country’s airspace by objects flying from the direction of Belarus.
According to a statement by the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces published on X, the intrusion of unidentified objects was detected overnight on Wednesday, January 28. The objects were believed to be balloons or meteorological probes.
“The flight of all objects was continuously monitored by military radar systems of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland,” the statement reads.
To ensure safety, a temporary restriction on civilian air traffic was imposed over part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.
Based on an analysis that included the objects’ flight characteristics, speed, and direction of movement, the Polish military determined that they were most likely balloons.
They were moving in accordance with meteorological conditions and did not pose a threat to the security of the country’s airspace.
The command stressed that such incidents are part of a range of hybrid actions Poland faces along its eastern border.
For example, at the end of December, 59 balloons crossed into Poland from Belarus, which Polish authorities linked to smuggling activities.
In addition to tobacco products, satellite navigation devices were found at the crash sites, allowing the flight routes to be tracked.
Polish authorities do not rule out that the launch of meteorological probes may have served purposes beyond smuggling. They could also have been used to test the response of air surveillance systems.
Such balloons are capable of reaching altitudes of up to 9,000 meters, making them difficult to detect.
