The situation at the Poland-Belarus border is becoming increasingly volatile as incidents of aggressive attacks by illegal migrants on Polish border services escalate. Despite efforts to disarm these migrants, the environment remains highly dangerous, with the situation worsening daily, according to the Minister of National Defense.
At approximately 4:30 AM yesterday, a soldier stationed near Dubicze Cerkiewne was assaulted with a knife. Major Magdalena Kościńska, spokesperson for the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division, reported that a Border Guard officer provided first aid to the injured soldier while being targeted with stones and branches thrown by migrants. The soldier was later transported to a hospital in Hajnówka, where he underwent surgery and is now stable.
Belarusian Involvement Suspected
Commander Lieutenant Andrzej Jóźwiak, Press Officer for the Chief of the Border Guard, emphasized the escalating aggression from migrants along the border. He noted that migrants have been throwing stones, burning branches, and attempting to set border markers on fire. Border Guard officers have been seizing dangerous tools such as sticks with attached knives and batons with embedded nails.
Jóźwiak highlighted that Belarusian services appear to be aiding migrants in their attempts to cross the border, providing them with tools to breach the barriers. This issue is being treated as an attack on Polish soldiers.
Recent Incidents and Casualties
In the hours leading up to the knife attack on the soldier, other dangerous incidents occurred on the Podlaskie section of the border. Several Border Guard officers were injured, including one who was struck with a broken bottle and another wounded by a stick with an attached knife. Major Katarzyna Zdanowicz, spokesperson for the Podlaskie Border Guard unit, reported that during an attempted illegal crossing by a group of nine migrants near Dubicze Cerkiewne, one migrant used a knife-tipped stick to wound an officer in the arm. The officer managed to confiscate the weapon and received medical treatment at a hospital.
Statistics indicate that in recent months, four Border Guard officers have been injured in such attacks. Migrants have used stones, branches, bottles, and slingshots, causing damage to about 90 service vehicles since the migration crisis began.
Official Response
Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz assured that he is in continuous contact with healthcare providers and the hospital treating the injured soldier. He commended the soldier’s commitment to defending Poland’s border and sovereignty.