Belweder Palace, residence of the Polish president, captured in Warsaw, 2016 . Image: Janek Skarzynski/AFP via Al Jazeera.
(The Post News) – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the State Protection Services intercepted a drone over government buildings on Monday night, leading to the arrest of two Belarusian nationals.
On Tuesday morning the prime minister revealed on X that the drone was “neutralized” after it was found hovering above the presidential residence and government buildings in Warsaw. State Protection Services spokesman Boguslaw Piorkowski confirmed the drone was apprehended after it was spotted around 7pm before it fired any shots, and they have not identified the drone type yet. Tusk adds that police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
Zapad Drills Cause Polish–Belarus Strains
The report comes after Belarus and Russia partook in Zapad 2025, a military drill near the Polish border over the weekend. Poland announced it had closed its borders in the meantime to the “aggressive” drills where a combined 100,000 to 150,000 soldiers would partake in military training, including nuclear weapons training.
The incident has raised further alarm given the long-standing ties between Russia and Belarus. Poland had a recent altercation with Russia after it had shot down its drones after nearly 20 incursions into its airspace. This resulted in Poland calling urgent consultations with its NATO allies and remaining on high alert for possible retaliation.
In the aftermath, Prime Minister Tusk joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Ukraine’s annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference. The two leaders vowed to cooperate on strengthening air defense systems and advancing counter-drone technology.
“Ukraine’s experience shows that drones and anti-drone systems are decisive for gaining an advantage on the battlefield,” Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domański said.
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