Polish Prime Minister Warns of Russian Mercenaries Moving Closer to Poland’s Border
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has issued a warning that a group of approximately 100 Russian Wagner mercenaries are advancing through Belarus towards Poland’s border. This comes as Poland accuses Belarus of engaging in “hybrid warfare” by facilitating illegal migration at the Polish border.
According to Morawiecki, the mercenaries have moved closer to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland. The Suwalki Gap is also adjacent to Poland’s border with Lithuania, another member state of the European Union.
Morawiecki expressed concerns that these mercenaries might pose as Belarusian border guards to assist migrants in crossing into the European Union. He described the situation as “dangerous” and warned that it could lead to a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.
The presence of Russian mercenaries in Belarus has been escalating in recent weeks, following a failed rebellion orchestrated by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. Thousands of mercenaries were reportedly relocated to Belarus after the unrest. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Wagner mercenaries would remain in central Belarus.
Poland’s Interior Ministry has announced that Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia may jointly decide to close their borders with Belarus if incidents involving Wagner mercenaries occur on the frontier. Poland has accused Russia and Belarus of using migrants to destabilize the European Union and has responded by constructing a high wall along parts of its border with Belarus.
The Poland-Belarus border has been a tense area for several years, as the influx of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa has led to accusations of Russia and Belarus exploiting the situation to undermine Poland and other EU countries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.