A Polish soldier died on Thursday after being stabbed by migrants attempting to cross the border from Belarus into the European Union, according to the Polish army.
Warsaw has stated that it will demand Belarus hand over the individual responsible for the soldier’s death.
Tensions at the border have been high since 2021, when migrants began arriving in large numbers. This surge followed Belarus’s decision to open travel agencies in the Middle East, promoting an unofficial route into Europe.
The European Union has condemned this as a deliberate ploy by Belarus, a close ally of Russia, to incite chaos and turmoil.
The soldier, identified only by his first name, Mateusz, was a member of the 1st Armoured Brigade.
He was attacked by migrants trying to breach the border fence in late May and succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.
“Despite the immediate assistance provided at the scene and the efforts of medical professionals, his life could not be saved,” the army said in a statement.
In recent weeks, there has been a notable increase in the number of migrants attempting to cross the border illegally, with border guards reporting several violent incidents.
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski emphasised Poland’s demands for accountability, stating, “We demand that Belarusian authorities identify the perpetrator and extradite him to Poland.”
He also mentioned that a formal protest note would be delivered to the Belarusian charge d’affaires later that day.
In response to the escalating situation, Poland has announced plans to strengthen border security and reestablish a 200-meter buffer zone. However, Belarus has denied allegations that it is facilitating the movement of migrants to the Polish border.
Main Image: By Janericloebe – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11259333
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