On Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MSWiA), Jacek Dobrzyński, shared a video on social media documenting an attack on Polish Border Guard officers near Mielnik, in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. “Within the group of aggressors, a uniformed officer of the Belarusian service is captured on camera, also throwing stones at our officers,” he wrote.
The Incident Near Mielnik
“The border near Mielnik. Several dozen individuals are attempting to breach the security barrier in an illegal attempt to enter Poland. When a Border Guard patrol arrives, the attackers begin pelting the approaching vehicle with stones. Among the group of aggressors, a camera records a uniformed officer of the Belarusian service, who is also seen attacking our officers with stones. Thanks to the swift and effective response of the Border Guard and soldiers, no one succeeded in breaching our national territory,” wrote Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, on social media.
The posted footage depicts a man in uniform accompanying a group of migrants. A close-up shows him hurling an object in the direction of the Polish uniformed personnel.
Growing Tensions on the Polish-Belarusian Border
For several weeks, tensions have been escalating along the Polish-Belarusian border. The Border Guard has been reporting near-daily incidents in which Polish patrols are attacked with stones or other objects.
“The number of illegal migrants storming the border from the Belarusian side is steadily increasing. What were once just a few or a dozen cases per day have become several dozen. Moreover, the migrants persist in attacking Polish patrols. Dangerous objects are thrown at our officers and border personnel. There are also reported attempts to damage the border barrier. Thus, the grim scenario is materializing—namely, that with the end of winter and the arrival of milder weather, the hybrid warfare waged by Russia via Belarus, using migrants as a tool, will escalate further,”
we reported in mid-March.