The two Belarusian machines flew into Polish airspace near the village of Białowieża on Tuesday during an air exercise in the border area, the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak had ordered an increase in the number of troops at the border and other additional measures, such as combat helicopters, the PAP news agency reported.
The Polish government has also "notified NATO" about the incident, according to officials.
The Polish defence ministry said: “We note that Russia and Belarus have recently stepped up hybrid actions against Poland. Due to the possibility of further provocations, we appeal for responsible dissemination and commenting of information that may be used by the Russian and Belarusian regimes.”
In addition, Poland’s foreign ministry summoned the Belarusian chargé d’affaires over the incident.
The Polish foreign ministry said in a statement: “Due to a violation of Polish national airspace by two Belarusian helicopters on 1 August 2023, the chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Belarus was summoned immediately to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
The Polish foreign ministry added that it "communicated its firm opposition and called the Belarusian side to immediately explain the incident in detail."
"The Polish side underlined that the incident is considered as another element in escalating the tension at the Polish-Belarusian border,” the statement also said.
"Poland expects Belarus to refrain from this type of activity," it added.
Private broadcaster RMF FM reported earlier in the day that a Belarusian helicopter and drone were spotted near the northeastern Polish village of Białowieża.
Pentagon Press Secretary Gen. Pat Ryder said after the incident that the United States was taking the security of NATO very seriously and would work with allies to ensure that every inch of NATO territory remains secure, the PAP news agency reported.
He referred reporters to Poland’s defence ministry for details about the move to send additional troops to NATO’s eastern flank, according to PAP.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Tuesday was day 524 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl
