Devendra Kumar
More than 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group have moved close to the border with Poland, according to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The mercenaries, who have been active in Belarus since their group’s short-lived rebellion earlier this summer, have taken up positions near the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland. This development has heightened concerns about Poland’s security, particularly given its membership in the European Union and NATO.
Poland has been worried about its eastern border with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine for some time, and these fears have grown since the Wagner group’s arrival in Belarus. The country has been particularly concerned about the potential for hybrid warfare, which it believes has already been used by Russia and Belarus to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. To respond to this threat, Poland has built a high wall along part of its border with Belarus to prevent a mass influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa.
The migrants, who are largely fleeing conflict and poverty in their home countries, have been seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland and Lithuania. Poland’s government has accused Russia and Belarus of using these migrants as a tool of hybrid warfare to destabilize the country and other EU nations. With the Wagner group now moving closer to the border, Polish officials believe that the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous.
“This is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory,” said Morawiecki during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired. The presence of the Wagner group in Belarus has already been a source of concern for Poland and other EU countries, and the move closer to the border has raised alarm bells about the potential for further aggression.
The situation is particularly volatile given that Kaliningrad, the Russian territory between Belarus and Poland, is a key location for Russian military operations in the region. Poland’s government is urging the EU and NATO to take a stronger stance against Russia and Belarus to prevent further aggression. As tensions continue to escalate, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and whether Russia and Belarus will take further military action against Poland and other EU countries.