"On the evening of December 24, Polish air defense services intercepted a russian reconnaissance aircraft over international waters of the Baltic Sea. The russian aircraft was near the borders of Polish airspace", - Polskie Radio reported on December 25.
"Our fighter jets from the base in Malbork carried out identification and safely escorted the Il-20, that is, a russian reconnaissance aircraft, beyond our area of responsibility. The russian aircraft was flying in international airspace, but without a defined flight plan and with its radio beacon turned off, without violating our airspace", - said Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Goryszewski, spokesperson for the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces.
It is noted that during the past night, objects were also spotted near Polish airspace from the side of Belarus. These were likely smuggling balloons, whose flight was continuously monitored by radar systems. For security reasons, part of the airspace over the Podlaskie Voivodeship was temporarily closed to air traffic.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces emphasizes that it controls the identification of flying objects and is ready to defend Polish airspace.