Poland Scrambles Jets After Russian Reconnaissance Aircraft Nears Airspace

📌Key Points

• •Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Baltic Sea on Thursday.
• •The Russian plane was visually identified and escorted out of the area near Polish airspace.
• •This was the second time Polish jets were scrambled this week, following a response to Russian strikes on Ukraine on Tuesday.
• •Polish authorities also detected "smuggling balloons" entering its airspace from Belarus, leading to a temporary closure of airspace over the Podlaskie region.
• •The incidents occur amid heightened tensions and ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with NATO allies providing support for air policing.