Police in Białystok, eastern Poland, about 60 km from Belarus, responded on March 18, 2026, after three large balloons with suspicious packages landed on private property. The balloons were secured between vans to prevent flight. Authorities suspect their origin from Belarus and involvement in smuggling, notably contraband cigarettes. The incident fits a pattern of meteorological balloons crossing from Belarus and has led Poland and neighbors to impose temporary airspace restrictions. Warsaw denounces these actions as "hybrid-type incidents" linked to Moscow-aligned Belarus using hybrid warfare tactics to pressure the EU, particularly via border provocations such as orchestrated migrant crises. Police urged caution and issued warnings to report such objects without approaching them.

Police in Białystok, eastern Poland, about 60 km from Belarus, responded on March 18, 2026, after three large balloons with suspicious packages landed on private property. The balloons were secured between vans to prevent flight. Authorities suspect their origin from Belarus and involvement in smuggling, notably contraband cigarettes. The incident fits a pattern of meteorological balloons crossing from Belarus and has led Poland and neighbors to impose temporary airspace restrictions. Warsaw denounces these actions as "hybrid-type incidents" linked to Moscow-aligned Belarus using hybrid warfare tactics to pressure the EU, particularly via border provocations such as orchestrated migrant crises. Police urged caution and issued warnings to report such objects without approaching them.