September 10, Pozirk — Following the overnight incursion of drones into Poland, Belarus’ defense ministry announced that its air defense forces had been in contact with Polish and Lithuanian counterparts to track stray drones and warn of approaching unidentified aircraft.
It added that the Belarusian Air/Air Defense Forces shot down some of the drones, but would not specify their country of origin.
“During the night-time exchange of UAV strikes between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the Air Defense Forces of the Republic of Belarus on duty continuously monitored drones that had lost their track as a result of the impact of the parties’ electronic warfare assets,” said Chief of the General Staff Major General Pavieł Muraviejka.
“This allowed the Polish side to respond promptly by scrambling its forces on duty,” the statement added.
The ministry also noted that cooperation was mutual: “In fairness, it should be noted that the Polish side also informed the Belarusian forces on duty about the approach of unidentified aircraft from the territory of Ukraine to the border of the Republic of Belarus.”
“The exchange of information on the air situation is an important component of ensuring security in the region as a whole and contributes to building confidence and strengthening security,” it stressed.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that a “large number” of Russian drones had been shot down over Poland overnight—the first such incident on Polish territory. Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting, he confirmed that Poland briefly closed its airspace and launched a military operation, supported by NATO and Dutch aircraft. Citizens in three Polish regions near the Ukrainian border were advised to remain indoors.
Polish police say they have found a damaged drone in Czosnówka, a village in eastern Poland, about 40km (25 miles) from the border with Belarus at 5:40 am, BBC reported.
“We have notified the appropriate services. Procedures are ongoing,” police from the Lublin region posted on X.
