The Polish Foreign Ministry has summoned the Belarusian chargé d'affaires in connection with objects identified as contraband balloons that entered Polish airspace last week, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported, quoted by BTA.
Polish police said that according to information provided by the army, which identified the flying objects, they were likely contraband balloons. They entered Polish airspace from Belarusian territory overnight, and police found remnants of these balloons, along with illegal tobacco products, in northeastern Poland, Reuters reported.
“Charge d'Affaires could not give an answer to the question of Belarusian participation in this operation, but we doubt that the Republic of Belarus had any information or influence on these actions”, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman said.”
“We reminded him that if this behavior continues, there will be consequences, but this topic will not be discussed publicly”, the spokesman added.
Smuggling balloons also entered Lithuanian airspace across the border with Belarus, causing closures at the airport in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Lithuanian authorities called it a “hybrid attack” by Belarus – a Kremlin ally. Lithuania declared a state of emergency last December over the balloon incursions.