The material is available only to
POZIRK+Poland, Lithuania seize Belarus-linked contraband cigarettes
The material is available only to
POZIRK+
Poland reports new airspace violations from Belarus
January 29, Pozirk. Unidentified flying objects entered Polish airspace overnight in the Podlaskie Voivodeship from Belarus, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command reported.
Polish military radars tracked the objects, most likely weather balloons, based on their characteristics, and temporarily restricted civilian aviation flights in the area for safety reasons. Airspace security was reportedly not affected.
Polish authorities noted that similar incidents are part of a broader series of hybrid actions Poland has recently faced from the east.
One week ago, Poland’s foreign ministry summoned Belarus’ chargé d’affaires to demand explanations over the incursion of around 150 balloons into Polish airspace on January 17.
In 2025, Polish border guards detected 185 cigarette-smuggling weather balloons arriving from Belarus, carrying goods worth an estimated $1.2 million.
Similar balloon incursions have previously caused tensions between Belarus and Lithuania. In late 2025, Vilnius declared an “extreme situation,” a low-level emergency, in response to what it described as a “hybrid attack from Belarus.”
Just one day before the incursions in Poland, about 40 balloons flew to Lithuania from Belarus, disrupting operations at Vilnius International Airport.
Lithuania handed a note of protest to the Belarusian chargé d’affaires yesterday.
According to the note, the incursions affected five flights and around 700 passengers at Vilnius International Airport. The incident was described as a serious violation of international law and a threat to Lithuania’s security and civil aviation.
Vilnius stressed that Lithuania reserves the right to restrict cross-border traffic and take other measures.
Poland demands explanation from Belarus over smuggling balloon flights
January 22, Pozirk. Poland’s foreign ministry has summoned Belarus’ chargé d’affaires to demand explanations over the incursion of around 150 balloons into Polish airspace early on January 17, Wiadomości reported. “The Belarusian side has received a very clear signal that …
