Poland’s defense chief reports multiple attempts by migrants to pass through Polish frontier

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Poland's defense minister said Wednesday his country continues to struggle with a recent migration flow at its eastern border with Belarus.

Mariusz Blaszczak told Polish Radio that multiple attempts to break through a border fence were witnessed late Tuesday.

"All those who managed to pass through have been detained," said Błaszczak, citing reports from the army.

Underlining that security forces in the region are doing their best to ensure border security, he said military support for border guards has been increased to 15,000 troops and could rise further, if necessary.

The Defense Ministry posted a video on Twitter showing how Belarusian security services "are intimidating migrants by firing shots in their presence."

Tensions between Poland and Belarus escalated Monday after nearly 4,000 migrants, mostly from Middle East countries, headed to the Polish border and tried to breach the barriers.

Polish authorities deployed about 15,000 troops along the border on Monday to stop migrants heading to the EU who enter the country after passing through Belarus.

The heavy deployment has sparked concern in Russia, with the Kremlin saying it is closely monitoring “the alarming situation” and urging all parties to behave responsibly.​​​​​​​

The EU accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of engaging in a form of “hybrid” warfare and using migrants as a weapon to destabilize European countries.