Poland reacts to border violation by Belarusian helicopters: NATO informed
Minister of National Defense of Poland Mariusz Blaszcak (Getty Images)
Today, August 1, two Belarusian helicopters crossed the state border into Poland while participating in military training exercises, as the Polish Ministry of Defense reports.
"Following an analysis of the situation by commanders and service chiefs, it was confirmed that the airspace violation occurred near the border in the vicinity of the border village of Bialowieza. The helicopters flew at an extremely low altitude, which went undetected by radar systems," the statement reads.
In response to the breach, Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszcak called for an increase in the number of soldiers stationed at the border and the allocation of additional resources, including combat helicopters.
"NATO has been informed about the incident," the ministry added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the temporary chargé d'affaires of Belarus to provide explanations for the incident.
Belarus reacts
The Ministry of Defense of Belarus has dismissed the claims made by Poland that two Belarusian helicopters violated the country's state border. The Belarusian authorities have referred to these allegations as "false."
In an official statement, the Belarusian ministry suggested that Poland might have decided to publicize the information about the alleged border violation only "after consultations" with Western states.
What was before
Prior to this event, residents of the Polish village of Bialowieza reported the passage of two Belarusian military aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-8, over their homes. However, the Polish authorities initially denied any border violations, claiming that their radars did not detect such activity.
Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia recently threatened to close their borders with Belarus in response to potential provocations by the Wagner Group in Belarus.
