Poland warns of unmanned balloons illegally transporting goods from Belarus

The Polish Air Navigation Agency (PANSA) said on October 31 that it has received a warning from the Podlaskie Border Guard Unit about a potential threat to air traffic that may occur along the entire state border with Belarus.

“Unmanned meteorological balloons filled with hydrogen appear in the mentioned region and are used for the illegal transport of products from Belarus to the territory of the European Union,” PANSA said in a statement.

The Border Guard said that “these balloons float at considerable heights, reaching a canopy height of up to 7 m and can move at considerable speeds – even 160 km/h, using the force of the wind. A collision with such a balloon carries the risk of explosion, because hydrogen mixed in the right proportion with air creates an explosive mixture.”

PANSA recommends that airspace users operating near the Polish-Belarusian border exercise particular caution.