Poland reports second airspace violation incident from Belarus this week

January 31, Pozirk. Unidentified objects from Belarus violated Polish airspace overnight, marking the second similar incident this week, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command reports.
An analysis of the flight parameters allowed the military to identify the objects as weather balloons, frequently used by cigarette smugglers.
Polish authorities temporarily restricted civil aviation flights in the Podlaskie voivodeship in the eastern part of the country for safety reasons.
Some 150 balloons violated Polish airspace early on January 17. Poland’s foreign ministry summoned Belarus’ chargé d’affaires to demand explanations. The most recent similar incident was reported two days ago.
In 2025, Polish border guards detected 185 cigarette-smuggling weather balloons arriving from Belarus, carrying goods worth an estimated $1.2 million.
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.”
Polish border guards: overnight airspace violations caused by smugglers' balloons
- SecurityVietnamese military delegation led by army ideology chief arrives in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics, SecurityEU envoys agree to prolong Ukraine‑related sanctions against Belarus by three years, report saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka heaps praise on Russia’s State Duma electionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarusian foreign minister leaves for New York to participate in UN eventsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics
- EconomyBelarusian companies’ CapEx rise by 11.5 percent in first eight monthsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyThree Belarusians face trial over alleged irregular migration facilitationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Economy, Politics
- PoliticsŁukašenka stresses “friendly ties” with Armenians amid tensions with YerevanThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyConstitutional Court receives over 260 appeals since 2023 – chairmanThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyEDB links Belarus’ economic slowdown to weaker agricultural outputThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Politics
- SocietyBySol raises nearly €37,000 for recently freed dissidentsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition politician Viačorka looking forward to establishment of Belarus-Ukraine coordinating groupThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja leaves for New York to take part in UN eventsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, SocietyParticipants at Belarusian-Ukrainian forum in Kyiv vow to investigate transfers of Ukrainian children to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkraine will probably deal with Belarus-based relay systems for Russian drone attacks in non-public way, envoy saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsCichanoŭskaja welcomes new US sanctions against RussiaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsTen of 25 deported political prisoners move from Lithuania to PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+



