Poland to deploy around 10,000 soldiers to border with Belarus
Poland-Belarus border
Poland is planning to move up to 10,000 additional troops to the border with Belarus to support the Border Guard, said Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, on Thursday (August 10).
This comes a day after Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik told the state-run news agency PAP that Warsaw will deploy 2,000 additional troops to combat purported illegal crossings and maintain cross-border stability.
What did the Polish defence minister say?
The Polish defence minister told public radio, “About 10,000 soldiers will be on the border, of which 4,000 will directly support the Border Guard and 6,000 will be in the reserve.” He added, “We move the army closer to the border with Belarus to scare away the aggressor so that it does not dare to attack us.”
ALSO READ |Threat from Wagner? Poland, a NATO ally, deploys more troops on Belarus border
This comes as Warsaw has been ramping up security along its border with Belarus – a close ally of Russia – after mercenary group Wagner sent its troops to Minsk in exile following their chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s aborted mutiny in Russia.
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Speaking about the decision to send 10,000 troops to the border, Blaszczak mentioned alleged violations of Polish air space by two military aircraft.
“The violation of Polish space by Belarusian helicopters cannot be underestimated because of the Belarusian approach,” said the Polish defence minister, describing the supposed move as another provocation.
He added, “Everything that is happening in Belarus is coordinated with the actions of Russia.”
Alleged migrant influx on Polish border
The Polish deputy interior minister, on Wednesday (August 9) told PAP that Warsaw will deploy 2,000 additional troops after the border guard chief said that as many as 19,000 people had tried to cross the Polish-Belarusian border illegally just this year, which is up from 16,000 people in 2022.
Wasik also accused Belarus and Russia of organising another migrant influx at their border. Late last month, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that hundreds of soldiers from the Wagner group have moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border.
ALSO READ |Wagner fighters move closer to Poland border, could pose as migrants to enter EU, warns Polish PM
He also claimed that the fighters aim to destabilise the situation on NATO’s eastern flank.
Similar accusations were made against Belarus and its ally Russia starting in the summer of 2021 when tens of thousands of migrants and refugees crossed or attempted to cross into Poland from neighbouring Belarus.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
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