Polish military forces have intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft operating in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the country's army confirmed on Thursday, 25 December 2025. The incident underscores the heightened state of alert maintained by nations along NATO's eastern frontier.
Interception and Identification Over the Baltic
Polish fighter jets were scrambled to intercept, visually identify, and escort the Russian aircraft away from the vicinity of Polish airspace. The army stated the operation occurred in the morning over the international waters of the Baltic Sea. The Russian plane was flying near the borders of Polish airspace before being escorted out of Poland's area of responsibility.
Unidentified Objects from Belarusian Direction
In a separate but related incident, the Polish military reported observing objects entering its airspace from the direction of Belarus during the night. Following detailed analysis, authorities concluded these were most likely smuggling balloons, moving with the wind. As a precautionary measure, airspace over the Podlaskie region in northeast Poland, which borders Belarus, was temporarily closed to civilian air traffic to ensure security.
Context of Regional Tensions
This latest interception follows a pattern of increased aerial activity. In September 2025, three Russian military jets violated Estonian airspace for approximately 12 minutes. That incident was followed shortly after by more than 20 Russian drones entering Polish airspace, keeping regional defences on edge.
Meanwhile, on the same day as the interception, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had sent a Merry Christmas message to U.S. President Donald Trump. Peskov added that no phone call between the two leaders was scheduled for Thursday.
In a further development highlighting the ongoing conflict in the region, the Ukrainian General Staff reported striking the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region with Storm Shadow missiles. The refinery, described as a major supplier of oil products in southern Russia, is involved in supplying Russian troops.
