Poland began closing its border with Belarus on the night of September 11th, 2025, citing the commencement of the joint Russia-Belarus "Zapad-2025" strategic exercises on the Belarusian side of the border. This action was announced by Polish authorities. Russia's Foreign Ministry had previously threatened Warsaw with "consequences" if it proceeded with the border closure. Concurrently, Russian air defense systems were reported to be active over Naro-Fominsk in Russia's Moscow Oblast, a location noted as the home base of the 4th Kantemirovskaya Tank Division. The specific reason for the air defense activation in Naro-Fominsk was not immediately clear. This border closure by Poland follows earlier reports of Ukrainian drone activity targeting the Smolensk region, specifically the Kardymovo oil depot, which sustained damage. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had previously stated Poland would defend its territory against any attacks, referencing a prior airspace violation by Russian drones. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova had criticized Poland's border closure plan as "escalation." In response to regional tensions, France deployed three Rafale fighter jets to Poland, and NATO doubled its fighter presence over the country. Latvia also closed its airspace along its borders with Russia and Belarus as a precaution. Sweden announced an $836 million military aid package for Ukraine on September 11th, 2025. Previous reports indicated over 115 Ukrainian drones had crossed into Russia's Bryansk region, with many targeting Smolensk, causing explosions and fires.
