Balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus have crossed into Polish airspace for a third night in a row, Polish authorities said on Monday, describing the incidents as part of a hybrid threat from Russia's ally.
Armed forces spokesman Jacek Goryszewski said there had been more balloon incidents in the first weeks of 2026 compared with the same period last year, possibly due to a political decision in Minsk or smugglers adapting to stronger Polish border defences.
Poland's military said the recent incidents posed no threat to security but imposed temporary restrictions on civil aviation over part of the Podlaskie region bordering Belarus. The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces wrote on X that the Belarusian side was testing Polish air defence systems.
Poland and the Baltic states have accused Belarus and Russia of waging a hybrid war against the West, including orchestrating a migration crisis, sabotage, espionage and balloon smuggling. In December, Lithuania declared a national emergency over similar balloons that forced its main airport to shut repeatedly.
The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not respond to a request for comment.
