Belarus Citizens Arrested Following Drone Incident Near Polish Presidential Abode | Russia-Ukraine Conflict Updates

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that an investigation is underway after the sighting of a drone above government buildings in Warsaw. Authorities in Poland detained two Belarusian citizens and “neutralised” the drone, which had flown over the government buildings and the presidential residence in the capital city. Polish police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Associated Press reported that Colonel Boguslaw Piorkowski, a spokesperson for the protection service, stated that the drone was not shot down by Polish forces but instead landed after authorities apprehended the operators. Poland’s Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, advised the public against jumping to conclusions or associating the incident with last week’s high-profile incursion by Russian drones into Polish airspace. Two Belarusian drone operators were arrested by Polish authorities while thousands of troops from Belarus and Russia are participating in the “Zapad (West) 2025” military drills, which started on Friday and will conclude on Tuesday. Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania closed their borders and bolstered their defenses in advance of the exercises. Following the Russian drone incursions last week, which led to Polish and NATO fighter jets mobilizing to defend against what was described as an “unprecedented violation of Polish airspace” by Moscow, Poland is on high alert. One residential building in Poland was damaged by the drones, although no injuries were reported. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced that the Western military alliance would increase its defense “posture” in Eastern Europe in response to the Polish airspace violation, which marked the first time NATO-allied forces engaged Russian military assets since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Romania also experienced a drone incursion, leading to the scrambling of fighter jets and a warning to citizens to seek cover. Moscow’s ambassador to Romania was summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express Bucharest’s strong protest against this violation of sovereignty.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/16/belarusians-detained-after-drone-flown-over-polish-presidents-residence?traffic_source=rss