Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that his country has begun to transfer more than a thousand soldiers to its eastern borders, amid growing concern in the NATO member state that the presence of Wagner Group fighters in Belarus will increase tension on its borders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin granted the fighters of the Wagner Group, headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the freedom to move to Belarus, a decision that caused the members of the eastern alliance to fear that their presence would exacerbate instability in the region.
“More than a thousand soldiers and about 200 units of equipment from the 12th and 17th mechanized brigades have begun to move to the east of the country,” Blaszczak wrote on Twitter.
“This indicates our readiness to respond to attempts to destabilize the borders of our country,” he added.
Last Sunday, Poland said it would send 500 police officers to beef up security on its border with Belarus.
Poland has seen an increase in the number of migrants trying to cross its border with Belarus in recent weeks. Polish border guards said more than 200 people tried to cross illegally on Friday, including citizens from Morocco, India and Ethiopia.
Poland accuses Belarus of creating an artificial migrant crisis across the border between them since 2021 by transporting people from the Middle East and Africa and trying to push them across the border.
A senior leader of the Wagner Group said Saturday that the Wagner Group is preparing to move to Belarus.
#Poland #masses #forces #east #fears #Wagner
2023-07-08 21:30:11
