Authorities reported that Poland deployed fighter jets on Thursday following the detection of a operating in proximity to its airspace.
According to a post on X by Poland’s Operational Command, the aircraft was intercepted and escorted away after being identified flying above international waters in the Baltic Sea.
The command reported that additional airspace incidents were detected overnight in the vicinity of Poland’s eastern border.
“During the night, objects from the entered Polish airspace. Following thorough analysis, authorities concluded these were most likely smuggling balloons traveling with the wind’s direction and speed,” the command stated.
“Radar systems continuously tracked all objects throughout their flight. As a safety precaution, part of the airspace above Podlaskie Voivodeship was temporarily shut down to civilian aircraft,” it added.
Officials stated that no threat to was identified, and authorities remained vigilant in monitoring the situation.
This event occurred just days after once more on Tuesday, as Russia launched extensive strikes against Ukraine.
Polish authorities noted that NATO allies contributed to the response, with Spanish planes supporting air policing efforts and Dutch forces supplying air defense system assistance.
stated that Russia deployed over 650 drones and more than 30 missiles two days prior to Christmas, striking Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and civilian targets.
“Sadly, there were fatalities. In the , a woman died due to a Russian drone attack. One individual was confirmed dead in the Khmelnytskyi region. In the Zhytomyr region, a four-year-old child lost their life when a Russian drone hit a residential building. I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones,” Zelenskyy said.
“This Russian attack conveys a very clear message about Russia’s priorities. Launching an assault right before Christmas, when families simply want to be together at home in safety. An attack executed essentially in the middle of this war,” he continued. “Putin still refuses to acknowledge that he must cease the killing. This indicates that the international community is not exerting sufficient pressure on Russia. The time to act is now. Russia must be compelled toward peace and assured security.”