Finance
Polish army reports increased small drone activity near Belarus border
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 22, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Quick Summary
Poland summoned a Belarusian diplomat over smuggling balloons breaching its airspace, raising diplomatic concerns and potential consequences.
Polish army reports increased small drone activity near Belarus border
Increased Drone Activity and Security Implications
WARSAW, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Poland said on Thursday it had detected heightened activity of small drones near its border with Belarus on Wednesday evening, in a further sign of tensions after an airspace violation involving suspected smuggling balloons last week.
The violation saw the summoning of the Belarusian envoy in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Relations between Minsk and Warsaw have sunk to new lows since Belarus's ally Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, with disputes over illegal migration and smuggling raising tensions created by the war even further.
Details of the Drone Activity
"On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in the evening hours, increased activity of small-sized unmanned aerial vehicles operating over the Polish-Belarusian border was observed," the Polish military's operational command wrote on X.
It said that no threat to the safety of Polish airspace was detected.
Context of Poland-Belarus Relations
"At the same time, it should be emphasized that this type of incident fits into hybrid actions undertaken by the Belarusian side, aimed at destabilizing the security situation and testing (Poland's) airspace defense system."
In Lithuania, smuggling balloons drifting over the Belarusian border have forced repeated shutdowns at the airport in the capital Vilnius, in what authorities call a "hybrid attack" by Belarus, a Kremlin ally. In December Lithuania declared a state of emergency due to the incursions.
(Reporting by Karol Badohal; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Alexandra Hudson)
Key Takeaways
- •Poland summoned Belarusian diplomat over airspace breach.
- •Smuggling balloons entered Poland from Belarus.
- •Illegal cigarettes found with balloon remains.
- •Lithuania affected by similar incursions.
- •Potential diplomatic consequences for Belarus.
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