Poland has decided to reinforce its border with Belarus with 500 additional tactical police officers, according to Reuters. The two primary threats it faces are illegal migrants and the Wagner group.
In 2021, Belarus faced major unrest from democracy activists claiming that the elections were fraudulent. This caused major friction with Poland, whose Eastern borders used to extend into Belarus before World War II. To sow chaos in Europe, Belarus has been inviting Middle Eastern and African migrants to attempt entry into Europe from Poland.
“Due to the tense situation on the border with Belarus I have decided to bolster our forces with 500 Polish police officers from preventive and counter-terrorism units,” Minister of Interior Mariusz Kaminski wrote on his Twitter account.
The lack of internal borders inside the European Union has enabled great economic growth, but also put severe stress on peripheral nations who bear the brunt of border control. The Polish border troops have to constantly be on alert from migrants getting more aggressive as their plans to enter Europe get foiled.
“The groups are more aggressive. There have been many attacks on Polish patrols. Seventeen vehicles have been damaged this year, of which 13 in June alone,” Border Guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska said.
The arrival of the Wagner group in Belarus has further caused great concern in Poland. As one of the few Russian units who gained ground in Ukraine this year, Wagner mercenaries are perceived as battle-hardened veterans with experience in both high-intensity conflict and counter-insurgency missions in Africa.
While Wagner’s Russian headquarters are being absorbed into the state apparatus, their new location in Belarus enables them to conduct more deniable missions akin to spying. Such missions could involve infiltration, reconnaissance, and sabotage of weapons entering Ukraine, many of which come through Poland.
