{"id":154836,"date":"2025-09-11T13:02:26","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T10:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/154836\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"latvia-joins-poland-in-restricting-flights-over-eastern-borders-ahead-of-zapad-2025","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/154836\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvia joins Poland in restricting flights over eastern borders ahead of Zapad-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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September 11, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spr\u016bds has announced that a ban on flights over Latvia’s shared border with Belarus and Russia will enter into force at 6 pm and last for at least one week, LSM<\/em> reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move follows a recent similar decision by Poland that restricted air traffic in the eastern part of the country along the shared border with Belarus and Ukraine for three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latvia’s armed forces recommended the restrictions as a preventive measure following yesterday’s Russian drone incursion into Poland that violated NATO airspace, Spr\u016bds said. Latvia’s army is on high alert and is conducting national defense exercises, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latvia\u2019s restrictions will extend to a 50-kilometer zone from the country’s external border and up to an altitude of 6,000 meters to facilitate the detection of unauthorized flying objects and facilitate defense missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Latvia and Poland announced restrictions one day before the start of a major Russian-Belarusian military drill, Zapad-2025, in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The maneuvers are expected to involve around 8,000 troops, including 2,000 Russians, according to Mindaugas Ma\u017eonas, head of Lithuania\u2019s Second Investigation Department. Minsk has not disclosed the number of participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, Lithuania announced additional measures to beef up security at its borders with Belarus and Russia during the exercise, while Poland will close its border with Belarus at midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwi\u0144ski said the closure may extend beyond Zapad-2025 duration, noting that Warsaw would open the border when it is fully confident that Belarus does not pose a direct threat to Poland or its citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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