Фото: Reform.by
Poland’s National Security Bureau believes that the incursion of contraband weather balloons from Belarus can be regarded as a provocation. On the previous day, part of the airspace over Podlasie was closed because of the incident.
In a statement published on Thursday evening, the bureau said that four balloons have already been detected.
“An analysis is being conducted of the course of both incidents, their consequences and their potential interconnection. The available and verified data indicate that several (four) objects detected so far by the relevant services in Poland have been identified as likely contraband balloons.
However, the scale of the violation of Polish airspace, its occurrence during a period of major holidays, the assessment of the activity of Russian aircraft in the Baltic Sea, as well as the fact that similar incidents have recently occurred in Lithuania, may indicate that this was a provocation disguised as the actions of smugglers,” the statement said.
It was recalled that on the previous day Polish military officials also reported intercepting a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that was flying near Polish airspace over the Baltic Sea.