A Polish F-16 fighter jet.Image: keystone
A Russian plane and smuggling balloons kept the Polish Air Force on tenterhooks on Thursday night. The country’s airspace was partially closed.
Dec 25, 2025, 9:57 p.mDec 25, 2025, 9:57 p.m
Simon Cleven / t-online
The Polish one air force had to take action twice on the night of Christmas Day. The operational command of the armed forces of the EU and NATO country spoke of a “busy” night.
On the one hand, Polish fighter jets have risen to fly above the Baltic Sea to intercept a Russian military machine. According to the information, it was a reconnaissance aircraft that flew close to the country’s airspace. It was not clear from the message what type it was. The Russian aircraft was “intercepted, visually identified and escorted out of the area of responsibility,” the operational command wrote on X.
Smuggling balloons from Belarus
In addition, there are objects from the direction at night Belarus entered Polish airspace. “After detailed analysis, it was determined that they were most likely smuggling balloons that moved according to the direction and speed of the wind.” As a result, part of the airspace over the Podlaskie Voivodeship was temporarily closed to civilian traffic. The flight of the objects was continuously monitored.
Poland and other NATO states, including Germany, repeatedly have to send up fighter jets when Russian military aircraft approach the defense alliance’s airspace.
Repeated missions in NATO airspace
On Tuesday, Poland also alerted its air force and those of its allies because of Russian air strikes on western Ukraine not far from the border. Polish and allied aircraft took off early Tuesday morning to ensure the security of Polish airspace, the NATO member’s armed forces operational command said on the social media platform X. In addition, combat aircraft were launched and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were placed on increased alert.
Smuggling balloons from Belarus have recently been a problem, especially in the Baltics. At the beginning of the month Lithuania declared a national “emergency” due to ongoing cases of unauthorized balloon entry into its airspace. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich justifies the move not only with disruptions to air traffic, but also with national security interests. The “emergency” authorizes the government and local authorities to allocate additional resources to the fight against the balloons.
Sources used:
- x.com: Post by @DowOperSZ
- With material from the news agencies Reuters and AFP