Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that Poland will enhance its border defenses with Belarus following an incident in which a Polish soldier was stabbed by a migrant. According to Tusk, “We will defend our border with all available means.” The attack, which occurred on May 28, was confirmed by the Polish Border Guard. In their press release, the Border Guard reported that the soldier was stabbed with a knife attached to a long tool and that the migrants involved behaved aggressively, also injuring an officer who was providing medical assistance.
This announcement comes in the wake of Poland’s Shield East program, a security initiative designed to protect NATO’s eastern flank. The program, which aims to invest PLN 10 billion, encompasses several dimensions, including geopolitical security, European air defense, internal security, and a secure border. The increasing tensions in the region, particularly with Belarus and Russia, are believed to be contributing to the heightened security measures.
The Polish-Belarus border has seen frequent instances of aggression from migrants, a situation that the Border Guard describes as common. Prime Minister Tusk has blamed Belarus and Russia for orchestrating what he calls a hybrid attack to destabilize Europe by increasing the flow of migrants into Poland.