Speaking in Brussels on Thursday during an EU foreign affairs meeting, Sikorski said the incidents reflect the “security-criminal” nature of the Belarusian regime, combining foreign policy manoeuvres with illicit activities.
Poland's top diplomat added that similar balloons had previously been sent toward Lithuania, highlighting a deliberate pattern of provocation in the region.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces reported that overnight on 28 January, objects from Belarus were detected entering north-eastern Polish airspace.
The Border Guard later confirmed the first objects as smuggling balloons, prompting temporary restrictions on civilian flights over the area near Poland's border with Belarus.
Military radar systems continuously monitored the objects, which were assessed as posing no threat to national security.
The Border Guard, police, and armed forces are coordinating investigations and maintaining constant surveillance along the eastern border.
Sikorski also noted the broader context, highlighting Minsk’s partial release of political prisoners and characterising Poland’s long-standing ties with its neighbour as “difficult.”
Regional security concerns extend beyond Belarus.
As reported on Wednesday by the British daily The Times, Russia is “putting all ships at risk” by jamming navigation systems.
Fourteen countries, including Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, have called on maritime authorities to recognize the threat to safe navigation posed by GPS jamming and position spoofing.
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Source: PAP/IAR/The Times