Polish government confirms US training balloon in Smólniki Osieckie

Government spokesperson Adam Szłapka responded to TV Republika’s claim of “another military object” near the village of Smólniki Osieckie, stating the object was a training balloon used in allied exercises. The Operational Command of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland confirmed the balloon originates from the U.S. military’s Micro‑HAB stratospheric micro‑balloon training carried out in Poland.

Authorities urged residents not to touch the balloon or its parts and to report any findings to the appropriate services, emphasizing that the exercises pose no danger to the public. The discovery follows an ongoing investigation of missile debris in Tarnawa‑Kolonia, believed to be a Russian CH‑101 maneuvering warhead, but the balloon itself is unrelated to that incident.