The Polish State Protection Service (SOP) neutralized a drone flying over sensitive government sites such as "Parkowa" Street and the "Belvedere" Palace in Warsaw this evening, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on the "Ex" social platform amid heightened tensions in the region following recent violations of Polish airspace, Reuters reported.
Two Belarusian citizens have been detained over the incident, and Polish police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, Tusk added, quoted by BTA.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Warsaw on Monday and informed him of the security-related considerations that led Poland to temporarily close its border with Belarus, through which an important trade route from China to the European Union passes, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman said, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
Poland, a member of the EU and NATO and a close ally of Ukraine, announced last week the closure of its border with Belarus in response to Russian-Belarusian military exercises, the scenario of which was assessed as "aggressive" from Warsaw and caused alarm among NATO countries just days after the unprecedented entry of Russian drones into Polish territory.
As a result of the complete closure of the border, all rail and road traffic along it was stopped, and a significant part of Chinese land cargo destined for the EU passes through there, in particular through the large railway junction of Malaszewicz, BTA reported.
"The Chinese side has received all the information on this issue. "All the reasons that led to such a decision were also presented," the ministry spokesman told the media today after the meeting between Wang Yi and Sikorski.
"This is not a decision aimed at striking at any of the partners who transport goods", but "currently military exercises are being held in Belarus with a very aggressive scenario", and Poland is constantly exposed to hybrid attacks on its eastern borders, he noted.
"The logic of security in our region takes precedence over that of trade. It is difficult to carry out free trade when the border is not secure," the spokesman added.
Wang Yi arrived in Poland on Monday after visiting Austria and Slovenia, amid a deadlock in talks to end the war in Ukraine, AFP recalls.