The condition of the Polish soldier who was stabbed by a migrant at the Polish-Belarusian border is “serious,” and he is “fighting for his health and life,” a deputy defense minister has said.
In the early hours of Tuesday, a migrant trying to cross the border from Belarus into Poland stabbed the Polish soldier near the village of Dubicze Cerkiewne, eastern Poland. He was transported to a hospital, where he underwent an operation, after which doctors said his condition was stable.
But on Wednesday, Cezary Tomczyk told the private broadcaster Radio Zet that the soldier’s condition was serious.
“He’s fighting for his health and life,” Tomczyk said.
Tomczyk said that the soldiers protecting the border have the right to use their weapons if attacked.
“The soldiers carry loaded weapons,” the deputy minister said. “But we should remember that they always try to react adequately to the situation.”
He also said the situation at the border is very tense, as the Polish border guard reports between 300 and 400 crossing attempts from Belarus every day, as well as several dozen incidents involving violence against Polish officers.
In 2021, the Belarusian strongman, Alexander Lukashenko, in retaliation for EU sanctions imposed on Minsk, reportedly started inviting migrants to Belarus under a false promise of easy access to the EU across the Polish and Lithuanian borders as part of his plan to destabilize the bloc.
In response, Poland has built a border fence to stem the inflow of irregular migrants from Belarus. Still, despite it being fitted with advanced electronic surveillance equipment, hundreds of migrants are said to be crossing the barrier every month.
But on Wednesday, Cezary Tomczyk told the private broadcaster Radio Zet that the soldier’s condition was serious.
“He’s fighting for his health and life,” Tomczyk said.
Tomczyk said that the soldiers protecting the border have the right to use their weapons if attacked.
“The soldiers carry loaded weapons,” the deputy minister said. “But we should remember that they always try to react adequately to the situation.”
He also said the situation at the border is very tense, as the Polish border guard reports between 300 and 400 crossing attempts from Belarus every day, as well as several dozen incidents involving violence against Polish officers.
In 2021, the Belarusian strongman, Alexander Lukashenko, in retaliation for EU sanctions imposed on Minsk, reportedly started inviting migrants to Belarus under a false promise of easy access to the EU across the Polish and Lithuanian borders as part of his plan to destabilize the bloc.
In response, Poland has built a border fence to stem the inflow of irregular migrants from Belarus. Still, despite it being fitted with advanced electronic surveillance equipment, hundreds of migrants are said to be crossing the barrier every month.
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