Polish border guards report attacks from territory of Belarus for the first time
The Polish Border Guard stated that a few days ago shots were fired for the first time from the territory of Belarus; a service car was damaged, and it is not known for certain which weapon was used.
Source: RMF24, reported by European Pravda
Details: The head of the detachment involved in the incident reported on the situation in the Polish Sejm.
The representative of the border guards, Colonel Arkadiusz Tywoniuk, said that he could only assume what weapon was used, but "the speed and kinetic energy were significant".
According to Tywoniuk, the bullet flew through the side window of the car and pierced another window at the exit. At that time, there were two border guards in the car, so it was a direct threat to their lives.
The border guard added that stones are thrown at the patrol almost daily.
Since the beginning of 2023, Polish border guards have recorded over 12,000 attempts to illegally cross the border from Belarus. This concerns the citizens of third countries around the world who arrive in Belarus and, from there, try to get to the EU countries on foot. Most often, they are citizens of Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia.
Earlier, the Border Service said that they consider Belarusian and Russian officers involved in organised attacks by illegal migrants on Polish border guards.
Since the summer of 2021, the Lukashenko regime has organised a hybrid migration crisis on the borders of Belarus' European neighbours, facilitating the arrival of people from Africa and the Middle East at the border. The Baltic states and Poland see it as revenge for their tough stance in regards to Lukashenko's repression against the Belarusian opposition and civil society.
Since winter 2021, the intensity of such attempts has decreased significantly, but the problem has not disappeared. They also regularly identify individuals who help migrants continue their journey deep into the EU.
Last year, Poland completed the construction of a five-metre fence on the border and has just completed the construction of an electronic barrier with surveillance equipment.
Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
