Polish authorities are preparing for a possible provocation in the east of the country. The head of Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, Mariusz Blaszczak, told reporters that Poland is increasing the number of troops at the Polish-Belarusian border, ultimately deploying 10,000 servicemen to protect this section of the border. “About 10,000 servicemen will be at […]
Polish authorities are preparing for a possible provocation in the east of the country.
The head of Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, Mariusz Blaszczak, told reporters that Poland is increasing the number of troops at the Polish-Belarusian border, ultimately deploying 10,000 servicemen to protect this section of the border.
“About 10,000 servicemen will be at the border: four thousand will directly support the Border Guard, while six thousand will be in reserve,” noted Blaszczak.
Earlier, Polish authorities reported sending 2,000 servicemen to the border with Belarus to prevent attempts at illegal border crossings.
The Polish Border Guard also previously reported an increase in illegal crossings at the Polish-Belarusian border. The rise in the flow of illegal migrants, most of whom come from the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and other countries, has caused significant concern among Polish authorities.
According to Polish authorities, there were about 19,000 attempts at illegal crossings of the Polish-Belarusian border recorded in 2023, which is nearly double the number for the same period last year. In 2022, there were approximately 16,000 attempts at illegal crossings. This year, in just 7 months, this number has increased to 19,000.
Polish authorities believe that some mercenaries from the Wagner Group, stationed in Belarus near the Polish border, may enter Poland disguised as illegal migrants and destabilize the country.
Relations between Poland and Belarus are deteriorating, particularly following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In this conflict, Belarus openly supports Russia, while Poland supports Ukraine.