Poland’s Ministry of Defence has reported that two Belarusian military helicopters violated Polish airspace during a training exercise.

In response to the incursion Mariusz B?aszczak, the Minister of Defence has ordered the number of soldiers on the border to be increased.

The Belarusian side had previously informed Poland about the training drills, the Polish Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The border crossing reportedly took place at a very low altitude, making it difficult to detect by radar systems.

The Polish MoD noted: “Therefore, in the morning announcement, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces Branches informed that the Polish radar systems did not record any violation of Polish airspace.

“NATO has been informed of the incident.”

A statement released by the Polish MoD on Tuesday (August 1) said: “After the commanders and service chiefs presented conclusions from the analysis of the situation, it was established that today, August 1, 2023, there was a violation of Polish airspace by two Belarusian helicopters that were training near the border.

“The Belarusian side had previously informed the Polish side about the training.

“The border crossing took place in the Bia?owie?a area at a very low altitude, making it difficult to detect by radar systems.

“Therefore, in the morning announcement, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces Branches informed that the Polish radar systems did not record any violation of Polish airspace.”

Poland, as a member of both the European Union and NATO, has expressed concerns about its security due to its proximity to Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.

Over the past two years, a significant number of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa have been attempting to enter Poland and Lithuania, both of which are also EU and NATO members.

European countries, including Poland and Lithuania, view this migration influx as a potential effort by Belarus, which is allied with Moscow, to create instability in the region.

Earlier on Tuesday, residents living near the border with Belarus reported witnessing helicopters with Belarusian insignia flying overhead, and some shared photos of the aircraft. Initially, Poland’s military denied any airspace violation by the Belarusian helicopters.