Belarus this Monday accused Polish forces of firing near the shared border to force migrants to leave Polish territory, denouncing a “dangerous provocation” at a time of rising bilateral tensions.
“Recently there have been several incidents when the Polish army has driven foreigners to the border with Belarus, forcing them to pass through a gate intended for animals,” Belarusian border guards claimed on Telegram.
“To intimidate these people, the Polish army pointed their weapons at the refugees and shot over their heads,” they continued.
They further stated that “the use of weapons by foreign military personnel at the border constitutes an extremely dangerous premise of a border conflict.”
Belarus has been accused for years of encouraging illegal migration to the European Union, raising tensions between Poland and neighboring Baltic states.
In turn, Minsk ensures that these European countries treat anyone who tries to cross the border in a brutal and humiliating manner.
Tensions between Belarus and its neighbors have worsened following the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Minsk mainly accusing Warsaw of preparing military provocations.
In turn, Poles and Balts have expressed concern about the stationing in Belarus of fighters of the paramilitary Wagner Group and demanded their withdrawal, which has already been refused by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Source: DN
