Polish Minister of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak announced that the country has begun transferring over a thousand soldiers to its eastern border on Saturday, amid rising concerns in the NATO member state that the presence of Wagner Group fighters in Belarus could increase tension at its border. Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted freedom of movement to the Wagner fighters led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a decision that has alarmed eastern NATO members, fearing that their presence could exacerbate instability in the region.
Blaszczak wrote on Twitter, "More than a thousand soldiers and about 200 units of equipment from the 12th and 17th mechanized brigades have started to move to the east of the country." He added, "This demonstrates our readiness to respond to attempts to destabilize near our borders."
Poland announced last Sunday that it will send 500 police officers to enhance security along its border with Belarus. In recent weeks, there has been an increase in the number of migrants attempting to cross the border with Belarus. The Polish border guards reported that more than 200 people attempted to cross illegally on Friday, including nationals from Morocco, India, and Ethiopia.
Poland has accused Belarus of creating a fabricated migrant crisis at the border since 2021 by transporting individuals from the Middle East and Africa and attempting to push them across the border. A senior commander of the Wagner Group stated on Saturday that a group of mercenaries is preparing to move to Belarus.
