Weather balloon landing in Poland raises concern in Warsaw

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - A weather balloon of unknown origin fell to the ground near the village of Kierwik in Poland’s eastern province of Warmian-Masurian, raising concerns in the country, local media reported on Tuesday.

This is the third similar object found in Poland in the last 48 hours.

The information was confirmed by Sgt. Emilia Plawska from the District Police Headquarters in Szczytno. This is the second case of a flying object of unknown origin found in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship within two days and the third nationwide, Plawska said.

“A balloon was found on Sunday, March 3, by a random walker near Lake Kerwik,” Plawska told Interia.

According to Interia, the person initially did not report the matter to the police, but after Monday's reports about the object found near Milakow, he notified the services.

Plawska said the police secured the site where the balloon landed and informed the army.

In December, the Polish defense minister said Poland’s military had carried out a thorough ground search in the eastern Lubelskie voivodship after a Russian cruise missile entered Polish airspace. Poland also scrambled fighter jets to protect its airspace.

Two people died in September 2022 after an explosion caused by misfired Russian-made missiles hit the eastern village of Przewodow, near the Polish-Ukraine border.