Poland is currently having a "Chinese balloon" moment. First, the Russian rocket surprisingly was found, now Belarusian balloons and (most probably Russian!) drones.
A Russian rocket fell near Bydgoszcz. The US speaks out
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that US authorities are in contact with Polish authorities regarding a rocket that fell near Bydgoszcz last December.
The United States spoke about the Russian missile, the remains of which were found in a forest near Bydgoszcz . - We know the reports on this subject, we are in contact with our Polish partners, we are trying to determine a bit more - said the spokesman of the US National Security Council John Kirby at a press conference, answering a question from Polish Radio. According to the Polish Ministry of Defense, the rocket fell on December 16, 2022 in Zamość near Bydgoszcz. She was found in April.
On Thursday, Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced that according to the reports received, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces Branches did not inform the government about the effects of the fall of the missile that was supposed to enter Polish airspace on December 16 last year. The head of the Ministry of National Defense announced that he would take consequences against the military commanders, after consulting the president.
"The information currently in the possession of the President of the Republic of Poland does not justify making personnel decisions regarding the highest commanding staff of the Polish Army, and moreover, no application in this matter has been submitted to the President of the Republic of Poland," reads a statement from the National Security Bureau.
- I am appealing for reason and weighing emotions, so that we do not feed an ambitious and aggressive opponent, that we do not allow ourselves to be divided into groups; so that there will never be situations that help the enemy and harm us - said General Tomasz Piotrowski, Operational Commander of the Armed Forces.
Rosyjska rakieta spadła pod Bydgoszczą. USA zabierają głos
Rzecznik amerykańskiej Rady Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego John Kirby powiedział w piątek, że władze USA są w kontakcie z władzami Polski w sprawie rakiety, która w grudniu ubiegłego roku spadła w okolicach Bydgoszczy.
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Balloon from Belarus still not found. There's a new military announcement
The soldiers did not find the object that flew into Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus on the night of Friday and Saturday, said the spokesman for the Territorial Defense Forces, Major Witold Sura, on Sunday evening. The search for the balloon was carried out in the village of Kowalki near Rypin in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and in the village of Kipichy in the Żuromin district in Mazovia.
WOT spokesman Major Witold Sura informed that "the object that flew from the direction of Belarus during the night from Friday to Saturday has still not been found." – The soldiers returned to the barracks on Sunday evening, and further decisions on this matter will be made on Monday – he told the Polish Press Agency. Soldiers from the 8th Kuyavian-Pomeranian Territorial Defense Brigade and the 7th Pomeranian Territorial Defense Brigade were involved in the search, in total about a hundred military personnel. - We are still entering the subordination of the Operational Command of the Armed Forces Branches. All tasks assigned in the field come from the level of operational command - Major Sura reserved.
On Saturday morning, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Twitter that the Center for Air Operations noted the appearance of an object in Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus". According to COP information, it is probably an observation balloon. Radar contact was lost near Rypin. The Operational Commander decided to launch the Territorial Defense Forces on duty to search for the object"- reads the announcement of the ministry. Let us remind you that the balloon disappeared from the radars near the village of Kowalki near Rypin (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship) at approx. 1:00 at night, the Polish Press Agency reported unofficially. The search was also carried out in the town of Kipichy, located about 30 kilometers away in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship.
In connection with the search for an "air object resembling a balloon", RCB issued an alert on Saturday for three provinces: Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Pomorskie and Zachodniopomorskie, so that if such an object is found, do not pick it up, but immediately notify the police. Earlier, we also reported that there were two similar incidents on Friday, which were confirmed on TVN24 by the deputy head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Błażej Poboży. “At this stage, I can only confirm that this incident has been recorded. The second one in the last few hours. Probably of a similar nature. While the former was, one might say, taken off the Polish border on radars, second one according to the reports we have, in the vicinity of the village [Rypin - editor's note] was lost from the radar – he said.
Balon znad Białorusi nadal nieodnaleziony. Jest nowy komunikat wojska
Żołnierze nie odnaleźli obiektu, który w nocy z piątku na sobotę wleciał w przestrzeń powietrzną Polski z kierunku Białorusi - przekazał w niedzielę wieczorem rzecznik prasowy Wojsk Obrony Terytorialnej mjr Witold Sura. Poszukiwania balonu były prowadzone we wsi Kowalki k. Rypina w województwie...
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Another drone incident. It flew 50 meters under the Wizz Air plane
The crew of a Wizz Air flight from the Dutch Eindhoven to Pyrzowice reported that they passed a quadrocopter. The drone flew about 50 meters below the plane. The plane was then at an altitude of about 1,200 m, Piotr Adamczyk, spokesman for Katowice Airport, told Gazeta.pl.
Monday's incident in Silesian, as determined by Gazeta.pl, took place after 15:00 over Myszków, approx. 20 km in a straight line from the Katowice-Pyrzowice airport. The crew of a Wizz Air flight reported that it passed a quadrocopter (four engine drone). The drone flew about 50 meters below the plane. The plane was then at an altitude of about 1200 m. - The plane landed safely at 15:12 in Pyrzowice - Piotr Adamczyk, spokesman for Katowice Airport, told Gazeta.pl. - In accordance with the procedures, the police, border guards and airport security services were informed about the incident. The police are looking for a drone and an operator, he explained.
This is the second such dangerous incident involving a drone in recent days. On Saturday, at the Chopin airport in Warsaw, the drone missed the landing LOT plane by about 30 meters. The pilot reported to the tower that at an altitude of 2,000 feet, a yellow drone flew over the landing plane. At the same time, another plane from Wrocław was approaching for landing. The controller warned the flight crew about the drone, to which the pilot replied that he saw the machine at an altitude of 1800-2000 feet and that it was the size of a glider.
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency confirms Saturday's incident. "The drone was not visible on the radars, the controllers did not detect it during visual observation. The approach to landing was the decision of the pilots" - we read in the PANSA release. "The agency acted in accordance with the procedures, informed the police about the incident, the tower controller submitted a report in the aviation accident reporting system. The incident report - in accordance with the procedures - was submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority and the State Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission. An internal investigation of the incident is underway", we read.
Kolejny incydent z udziałem drona. Przeleciał 50 metrów pod samolotem Wizz Air
Załoga samolotu linii lotniczej Wizz Air podczas lotu z holenderskiego Eindhoven do Pyrzowic zgłosiła, że minęła się z quadrokopterem. Dron przeleciał w odległości około 50 metrów pod samolotem. Samolot był wtedy na wysokości ok. 1200 m - przekazał Gazecie.pl Piotr Adamczyk, rzecznik prasowy...
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