NATO air patrol tracks Russians on Polish border

NATO’s Awacs planes have radars 9 meters in diameter. As close as possible to the Ukrainian border, they deal with intelligence. On board, a dozen soldiers of different nationalities, who monitor the regular alerts. “We have just detected, in Belarus, a Russian-made device. So, without further details at this time”, explains one of the heads of the mission, who is French. For him, it may be a Russian troop, positioned in Belarus, which would return home.

Surveillance operators assess the speed, altitude and precise nature of the aircraft spotted. “It is a device that does not transmit the usual signals, which may be an indication that it is a fighter plane”, says another. NATO fighter planes are also positioned over Poland. “If the Russians cross the border, we can use our fighters to intercept this kind of plane“, says a soldier.