Poland shuts Belarus border indefinitely. MFA explains
Moldovan citizens planning to cross the border between Poland and Belarus should note that all land crossing points will be closed starting September 12 at 00:00. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has informed through its diplomatic missions in both countries that this decision is made by the Polish authorities and is intended to suspend traffic for an indefinite period.
The measure also applies to the railway points Kuźnica Białostocka-Grodno, Siemianówka-Swisłocz, and Terespol-Brest.
“The ban is applicable in both directions,” authorities stated.
In this context, the Ministry recommends that citizens use alternative routes and check travel alerts published on the official website of the Polish Border Police: granica.gov.pl, where information is available in English, German, and Russian.
At the same time, Poland has introduced restrictions on air traffic along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine. The Operational Command of the Armed Forces announced this on Thursday, September 11, amid heightened tensions following an incident a day earlier when the NATO member country shot down several Russian drones that violated its airspace, according to Reuters.
“At the request of the Operational Command of the Armed Forces Branches, air traffic restrictions will be introduced in the eastern part of Poland in the form of the restricted area EP R129,” stated the Polish Air Navigation Agency in a press release on Wednesday evening.
The restrictions went into effect on Wednesday at 10 p.m. and will remain in place until December 9. According to the agency, flights within the restricted area are prohibited from sunrise to sunset, except for piloted aircraft operating under a flight plan and equipped with the appropriate transponders while maintaining two-way communication with air traffic authorities.
The restrictions also allow exceptions for military flights and certain additional special flights.
On Wednesday, September 10, Poland announced that it had activated its own and NATO defense systems to down Russian drones that had intruded into its airspace during a significant attack on western Ukraine. This marks the first time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine that Warsaw confirmed the use of weapons against hostile objects over its territory.
On September 11, the UN Security Council will meet urgently at Poland's request to discuss this week's violation of Polish airspace, as announced by the Polish Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
