Violation of Polish airspace by Belarusian forces is provocation: Polish deputy defense minister

The violation of the Polish airspace by Belarusian forces is a provocation, the Polish deputy defense minister said Wednesday.

Poland on Tuesday accused Belarus of airspace violation, Polish news agency PAP reported, citing the Foreign Ministry.

Deputy Defense Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz on a public radio described the violation as a provocation, according to the report.

Skurkiewicz stressed that this situation is "absolutely unsafe," and added that his country will take appropriate action against potential threats in case of escalation, PAP noted.

Poland informed NATO of the violation and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak decided to increase the number of troops and military assets at the border, including helicopters.

According to reports, helicopters were spotted flying over the Bialowieza area near the Polish-Belarusian border, prompting the Polish Foreign Ministry to issue a strong protest.

"Due to the violation of the airspace of the Republic of Poland by two Belarusian helicopters on August 1, 2023, the Charge d'affaires of the Embassy of Belarus was urgently summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.