- Title: Polish troops patrol border with Belarus amid migration crisis
- Date: 11th January 2025
- Summary: ZIELONA, POLAND (JANUARY 10, 2025) (REUTERS) TANKER REFUELING POLISH ARMY MI-8 HELICOPTER HELICOPTER CREW TAKING OFF NEAR POLAND-BELARUS BORDER (JANUARY 10, 2025) (REUTERS) AERIAL SHOT OF POLAND’S COUNTRYSIDE NEAR POLISH-BELARUSIAN BORDER NEAR BIALOWIEZA, POLAND (JANUARY 10, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER LANDING SOLDIERS LEAVING HELICOPTER VEHICLE POLISH SOLDIER STANDING ON LPU WIRUS, LIGHT STRIKE VEHICLE SIGN READING (Polish): "RESTRICTED AREA - ENTRY PROHIBITED" POLISH SOLDIERS PATROLLING POLISH-BELARUSIAN BORDER VARIOUS OF POLISH-BELARUSIAN BORDER VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS PATROLLING CAMPFIRE (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) COMMANDER OF OPERATION 'SECURE PODLASIE', MAJOR-GENERAL ARKADIUSZ SZKUTNIK, SAYING: "The situation has changed in the last few months. As what I have already mentioned during the press briefing. We currently have fewer illegal attempts to cross, illegal attempts to cross the border itself. And the second thing is that it’s for a few weeks when it comes to aggression from migrants. I will tell you that even the last few days, three or four days in a row when there are zero border crossings." WIRE FENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) COMMANDER OF OPERATION 'SECURE PODLASIE', MAJOR-GENERAL ARKADIUSZ SZKUTNIK, SAYING: "It was September, October, where the most aggressive - and I don't even know if they were immigrants, if they were not simply people whose task was to discourage our soldiers, or simply to overpower soldiers, or to instill fear among soldiers. They used, among other things, slingshots with steel balls, there were used dangerous, sharp tools thrown over the fence." SZKUTNIK SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) COMMANDER OF OPERATION 'SECURE PODLASIE', MAJOR-GENERAL ARKADIUSZ SZKUTNIK, SAYING: "We are preparing for war in peacetime, hence, among other things, bulletproof vests. Because if someone were to throw branches, we would not wear bulletproof vests 24/7 near the border, because those are our standards. We prepare for everything, including the fact that, God forbid, firearms would be used. Because today you never know who will make a provocation and from which side. So, I prefer to be prepared and these are simply our standards." WIRE FENCE SOLDIERS PATROLLING BORDER (MUTE) SOLDIER WALKING VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS PATROLLING BORDER AND WIRE FENCE BELARUSIAN BORDER POLE BORDER FENCE VARIOUS OF POLISH SOLDIERS PATROLLING BORDER FENCE BORDER FENCE SOLDIER PUTTING ON NIGHT VISSION GOOGLES BORDER FENCE VARIOUS OF BORDER FENCE SEEN THROUGH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS PATROLLING BORDER FENCE
- Embargoed: 25th January 2025 10:19
- Keywords: Belarus Poland Poland-Belarus border migration
- Location: ZIELONA, NEAR BIALOWIEZA AND NEAR POLAND-BELARUS BORDER, POLAND
- City: ZIELONA, NEAR BIALOWIEZA AND NEAR POLAND-BELARUS BORDER, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Europe,Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001249111012025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Soldiers patrolled Poland's border barrier with Belarus on Friday (January 10) as the country's military demonstrated the security measures Warsaw has been putting in place since a migration crisis that began three years ago.
Poland and the European Union have accused Belarus and Russia of trying to spread chaos since 2021 by pushing migrants over the frontier in what Warsaw calls a "hybrid war". Minsk and Moscow have dismissed the accusations.
The new security operation in the northeastern Podlasie region has been in effect since August and will involve up to 17,000 soldiers supporting Poland's border guard up until January 31, 2025, according to a government press release.
Major General Arkadiusz Szkutnik said that the security measures were proving effective with fewer illegal attempts to cross the border registered recently. However, he said there was still a need for constant vigilance.
"You never know who will make a provocation and from which side," he said, adding they were ready for any situation.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has pursued a tough policy towards migration, a strategy which has won broad public support but which has dismayed activists who had hoped he would abandon the previous, nationalist administration's approach after taking office last year.
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