Overview
- Polish fighter jets intercepted, visually identified and escorted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over international waters near Poland’s Baltic Sea airspace boundary.
- Radar tracked several dozen objects entering from the direction of Belarus overnight that were assessed as likely smuggling balloons, with no direct threat identified.
- Part of the northeastern Podlaskie region’s airspace was temporarily closed to civilian traffic while contacts were continuously monitored by air-defense systems.
- Poland’s National Security Bureau said the mass scale and timing of the violations could indicate a provocation disguised as smuggling activity.
- Authorities reported allied support for air policing and air defenses, with Spanish aircraft and Dutch units assisting as forces remain on heightened readiness following Russia’s Dec. 23 strikes on Ukraine.