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Poland summons Russian ambassador over patrol plane incident

10.05.2023 15:30
Poland has summoned the Russian ambassador over an incident in which a Russian fighter jet last week dangerously approached a Polish border guard plane on patrol for the European Union over the Black Sea, a spokesman for the Polish foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Sergey Andreev, Russias ambassador to Poland.
Sergey Andreev, Russia's ambassador to Poland.Photo: PAP/Tomasz Gzell

Spokesman Łukasz Jasina said on Twitter that Russian Ambassador Sergey Andreev was summoned to the Polish foreign ministry on Wednesday and "handed a note of protest regarding the incident involving a Russian fighter jet against an aircraft of the Polish Border Guard."

Jasina added: "We strongly condemn the provocative and aggressive behavior of the Russian side, which is a serious international incident."

The announcement came after Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller said earlier this week that Friday's incident over the Black Sea near Romania was “a provocation by Russia."

A NATO official said on Monday that the Western military alliance had raised the readiness of its air policing units after the Russian fighter jet collided with the Polish aircraft patrolling the skies over the Black Sea for the EU's Frontex border agency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday reiterated his claim that the West was waging "a real war” against his country, while seeking to prepare the public for a long military campaign in Ukraine, a US think tank has reported.

Wednesday is day 441 of Russia's war on Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters