2LT International News

WARSAW, Poland: Amid the presence of Russian-linked mercenaries in Belarus and illegal migrants attempting to cross their border, Polish defense minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that the country plans to deploy 10,000 soldiers in the border area.

Blaszczak made his statement during a state radio interview one day after another official said Poland was doubling its military presence on the border by sending 2,000 additional troops over the next two weeks.

The soldiers are being deployed to reinforce the work of police and Border Guard officers.

The government in Poland and other countries along NATO’s eastern flank have accused Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus and an ally of Russia, of opening the migration route as part of a “hybrid war” aimed at creating instability in the West.

Poland is also worried about the presence of Wagner mercenaries who deployed to Belarus after a short-lived mutiny in Russia in June. Anxieties were further heightened last week when two Belarusian military helicopters briefly entered Polish air space.

This week, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said that while Belarus began military training drills near its border with Poland, NATO’s monitoring of the situation did not see an immediate threat.

“NATO has significantly increased its defensive presence in the eastern part of the alliance in response to Russia’s aggressive actions, and we continue to do what is necessary to deter any threat and protect every inch of allied territory,” Lungescu said, as quoted by the Associated Press.