Poland to deploy 10,000 troops to guard its border with Belarus

Poland's defence minister said on Thursday the country planned to massively increase its forces guarding the border with Belarus, amid concerns about migrants trying to enter the EU without permission and potential threats from Wagner mercenaries.

Polish border guards patrol a metal wall on the border between Poland and Belarus, near Kuznice, Poland, on 30 June 2022. © AP/Michal Dyjuk

In an interview on state radio, Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said 10,000 soldiers would ultimately be deployed to reinforce the work of police and border guard officers.

"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 said.

"We move the army closer to the border with Belarus to scare away the aggressor so that it does not dare to attack us," said the minister.

The day earlier, a different official said Poland was sending 2,000 additional troops to the border, essentially doubling its military presence there.

Wagner influx

Poland has been increasingly concerned about the border area since hundreds of Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus last month at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russia.

The mercenaries transferred to Belarus under a deal that ended their short-lived mutiny in Russia in late June and allowed them and their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to avoid criminal charges.

• Wagner chief to leave Russia in deal to ease crisis

The Belarusian military has said it is actively using Russian mercenaries to train its troops, and Lukashenko has claimed several times that he is restraining Wagner mercenaries who want to attack Poland. 

Belarus started military exercises near the border this week. 

In this photo released by the Belarus Defense Ministry on 20 July 2023, Belarusian soldiers and Wagner fighters pose during a week of drills at a firing range near the border city of Brest, Belarus. © Belarus' Defense Ministry via AP

In recent months, Poland has also seen an increase in the number of people trying to reach Europe from Africa and the Middle East.

• France says Belarus 'seeking to destabilise EU' by allowing migrant crisis

For the past two years it has accused Belarus of recruiting migrants in poor countries and sending them across the border illegally to foment instability.

(with newswires)