Polish security claims Russian jets flew over oil platform in Baltic
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Poland claims Russian jets flew over the Petrobaltic oil platform in the Baltic Sea, while Moscow insists its aircraft comply with international air safety rules.
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Russian warplanes fly over Red Square during a dress rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 7, 2022 (AP)
The Polish Border Guard claimed Friday that two Russian fighter jets carried out a low-altitude flyover of the Petrobaltic oil platform in the Baltic Sea, though no evidence was provided to support the allegation.
In a statement posted on X, the border guard said it had notified the Polish Armed Forces and other relevant agencies.
Spokesperson Katarzyna Przybysz of the Maritime Border Guard Unit told reporters that the platform lies outside Poland’s territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly stated that its aircraft operate strictly in accordance with international air safety rules in neutral waters, without crossing foreign air routes or approaching foreign aircraft at unsafe distances.
Airspace tensions rise
On September 10, Moscow launched waves of missiles and drones targeting Ukrainian defense industry sites, with some craft veering into NATO territory.
In response, Poland scrambled fighter jets, temporarily shut down airspace over Lublin, and invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, requesting consultations over what it described as a threat to its security and territorial integrity. NATO subsequently announced Operation Eastern Sentry to reinforce air defenses along the alliance’s eastern flank.
Investigators later found that the drones that reached Poland were unarmed, heightening speculation that they were meant to gauge Western reactions.
Poland's foreign minister said on Sunday that the drones that recently crossed into Polish airspace from Russia carried no explosives.
"Interestingly, they were all duds, which suggests to me that Russia tried to test us without starting a war," Radoslaw Sikorski told The Guardian. He added that Moscow appeared to be probing NATO's readiness without risking direct escalation.
Russia has dismissed the accusations. Charge d'affaires Andrey Ordash said Warsaw had not provided proof linking the drones to Moscow. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that "no strikes on Polish territory were planned" during its September 10 campaign and expressed readiness to consult with Polish authorities.
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