Dozens of smuggling weather balloons launched from Belarus into Poland airspace
Illustrative photo: Polish serviceman (Getty Images)
On December 25, 59 weather balloons entered Poland from Belarus. GPS tracking devices were also found, according to the Polish outlet RMF24.
According to the report, the largest number of such incidents was recorded in the Podlaskie Voivodeship and Lublin Voivodeship, which border Belarus.
During inspections, Polish border guards and police discovered 13 weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes, as well as five separate packages. Each package contained roughly 1,500 packs of tobacco products. All of the balloons were equipped with GPS tracking devices.
Polish security services do not rule out that the launches may have served not only smuggling purposes but also to test the effectiveness of air-object detection systems. The balloons were reported to be flying at an altitude of about 9,000 meters.
Such incidents create additional strain on security forces and pose risks to civilians, the outlet notes. In particular, in the Lublin Voivodeship, one balloon damaged a power line, temporarily leaving part of the region without electricity.
Violations of Poland's airspace
Earlier, on the night of December 25, the Polish Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept and escort a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near Poland’s airspace. Poland has also recorded repeated incursions of balloons from Belarus, prompting temporary restrictions on civil aviation over the Podlaskie region.
In October, Poland similarly scrambled MiG-29 fighters to intercept a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, marking the third such incident in a single week.
