Polish fighter jets on Thursday intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near Poland’s airspace over the Baltic Sea and escorted it away from their area of responsibility.
At the same time, dozens of objects were detected entering Polish airspace from Belarus overnight. The military warned that incidents during the holiday season could signal a provocation.
In a statement, the Polish army said: “This morning, over the international waters of the Baltic Sea, Polish fighter jets visually identified and escorted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft from our area of responsibility.”
Countries on NATO’s eastern flank have been on high alert for potential airspace incursions since September, when three Russian military jets violated Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes, just days after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace.
Poland’s National Security Bureau reported that several dozen objects entered Polish airspace from the Belarusian side, with four so far identified as likely smuggling balloons.
The bureau added: “The mass nature of the violation of Polish airspace, its occurrence during the holiday season, the activity of Russian aircraft in the Baltic Sea, and similar recent incidents in Lithuania may indicate that this was a provocation disguised as a smuggling operation.”
Belarusian and Russian embassies in Warsaw have not immediately responded to requests for comment from Reuters.
Smuggling balloons from Belarus have repeatedly disrupted air traffic in Lithuania, forcing temporary closures of Vilnius airport. Lithuania says the balloons, sent by smugglers transporting cigarettes, constitute a “hybrid attack” by Belarus. Belarus has denied responsibility.
The Polish army said part of the airspace over northeast Poland’s Podlaskie region, bordering Belarus, was temporarily closed to civilian flights to ensure security.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Fra...
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's f...
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public re...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
Russia has agreed to work with Ghana on developing a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant following talks at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Saturday.
Foreign ministers from the U.S., Japan, Australia and India raised concerns over export restrictions and economic coercion at a Quad meeting in Atlanta, U.S., on Saturday, 31 October 2026, according to their joint statement.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment