Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 25, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Poland intercepted a Russian plane over the Baltic and reported airspace breaches from Belarus, suggesting possible provocations.
WARSAW, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Poland sent fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near its airspace over the Baltic Sea and said dozens of objects entered from Belarus overnight, warning the incidents during the holiday season may signal a provocation.
"This morning, over the international waters of the Baltic Sea, Polish fighter jets intercepted, visually identified, and escorted from their area of responsibility a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near the borders of Polish airspace," the Polish army said on Thursday.
Countries on NATO's eastern flank have been on high alert for potential airspace incursions since September when three Russian military jets violated Estonia's airspace for 12 minutes just days after more than 20 Russian drones had entered Polish airspace.
Poland's National Security Bureau said several dozen objects entered Polish airspace from the Belarusian side and four discovered so far had been identified as likely smuggling balloons.
"...the mass nature of the violation of Polish airspace, its occurrence during the special holiday season, the assessment of the Russian aircraft's activity in the Baltic Sea, and the fact that similar incidents have recently occurred in Lithuania, may indicate that this was a provocation disguised as a smuggling operation," it said.
Belarusian and Russian embassies in Warsaw did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Smuggler balloons from Belarus have repeatedly disrupted air traffic in Lithuania, forcing Vilnius airport closures.
Lithuania says they are sent by smugglers transporting cigarettes and constitute a "hybrid attack" by Belarus, a close ally of Russia. Belarus has denied responsibility for the balloons.
The Polish army said part of the airspace over northeast Poland's Podlaskie region, which borders Belarus, was temporarily closed to civilian traffic to ensure security.
(Reporting by Anna Koper; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Howard Goller)
Airspace violation occurs when an aircraft enters the airspace of a country without permission, potentially leading to security risks and military responses.
A reconnaissance aircraft is a military aircraft used for gathering intelligence and conducting surveillance missions.
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of goods or people across borders, often to evade taxes or regulations.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance of countries from North America and Europe established for mutual defense.
A hybrid attack combines conventional military tactics with irregular tactics, such as cyber attacks or smuggling, to achieve strategic objectives.
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