BBC: Poland holds foreign spies
06:31 | Security services in Poland have arrested six foreigners suspected of spying for Russia, the BBC reports based on Polish government sources. They allegedly placed hidden cameras at railway crossings and along major traffic routes used to supply the Ukrainian military.
The cameras were found in the Subcarpathian province on the border with Ukraine. Much of Western military aid reaches the neighboring country through that province. Some of the cameras were hidden near an airport used as a hub for humanitarian and military aid, the British public broadcaster said.
United States: It is not yet clear whether the drone collision was intentional
06:27 |It is still unclear whether the collision between a Russian warplane and a US drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday night was intentional. According to a US State Department spokesman, there was likely “an unintentional action on the part of Russia”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the incident is under investigation. He said he could not make any statements at this time about possible intent or possible motive. “It was a reckless and dangerous incident, but we need to investigate further,” the minister said. Top US General Mark Milley also says it’s unclear whether the collision was intentional. According to him, it is clear that Russia deliberately obstructed the drone. The incident, he says, fits into a “Russian pattern of behavior”.
Moscow has warned Washington to stay away from Russian airspace following the crash. “We will no longer allow anyone to trespass on our waters,” the Russian ambassador to the United States said, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu spoke by phone on Wednesday. During the conversation, Shoygu said the incident was the result of “an increase in intelligence activities, to the detriment of the Russian Federation.” Another factor, according to the defense minister, is that the countries are not respecting the ‘airspace restrictions’ announced by Moscow. The Kremlin previously announced these restrictions due to the Russian military presence in Ukraine.
According to Austin, he indicated in the conversation that the United States will continue to fly to places where international law permits. Russia must operate its military aircraft safely and professionally.
The collision occurred in international airspace, close to Ukrainian territory which Russia claims it has annexed. According to the Americans, the drone was there during a routine surveillance flight. The drone was suddenly hit by a Russian fighter jet.