On the first of August, Operation “Safe Podlasie” was launched, which aims to strengthen the protection of the Polish border with Belarus against attacks of illegal immigrants. respective 1000 soldiers from the 18th Mechanized Division, the alleged “Pancer Division”, have already reached the border. You can see the first effects of sealing the border with the military – the number of attempts to cross it is dropping strongly, and Belarus and Russia are redirecting immigrants to the border with Lithuania and Latvia.
Safe Podlasie
Operation Safe Podlasie was initiated by the transfer of duties by Brigadier General Sławomir Lidwa, commander of the Military Task Force Podlasie, commander of Operation Safe Podlasie to Major General Arkadiusz Szkutnik. Already the next day respective 1000 soldiers of the 18th Mechanized Division took their positions on the border with Belarus.
Operation Safe Podlasie replaced Operation Gryf, which had little power to defend the border from illegal immigration. "The decision to replace erstwhile actions is due to the request to increase efficiency of operations, to harmonise command procedures and to optimise the usage of forces and resources active in border protection". – reads on the Polish Army website
Objective of operation
From the information on the same page we besides learn what is the main nonsubjective of Operation Safe Podlasie. "New Operation Safe Podlasie aims to aid the Border defender keep the leak of the east border of Poland. Soldiers of the Polish Army will support the actions of Border defender and Police, countering illegal border crossings in places not intended for this. This operation is simply a consequence to illegal migration from the east, which poses a challenge to home security." The service of soldiers was preceded by specialist training, among another things from conducting preventive actions against aggressive immigrant groups. Soldiers trained gendarmes and police officers.
Lots of troops.
A full of 17,000 soldiers participate in the Safe Podlasie operation, of which straight at the border will serve, in the shift system, 8 000 uniforms, and 9 000 will constitute the alleged strategical detachment. The Operations Command of Types of Armed Forces is liable for planning, implementing and directing the fresh operation.
In the future, permanent military forces guarding the border with Belarus will be located 40 kilometres away. He informed about this, during the beginning ceremony of the “Safe Podlasie” action, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, head of the Ministry of Defence. He announced the creation of a fresh mechanized brigade, which will be part of the 1st Legion Infantry Division – formed since 2022. This unit will have its base in the town of Karakule, located only 5 kilometres east of Białystok. “This is why we will find the brigade here, close Białystok, so that the safety of the border is permanent, permanently, that the most modern equipment, tanks, armored transporters, combat infantry wagons, cannon-haubice, launchers are gathered here,” said Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Large resources were allocated to the creation of a fresh unit close Białystok. By 2028 PLN 1.3 billion is to be spent for this purpose. quite a few that money will take on building barracks and training places for soldiers. It will be the second large military unit in the area of Białystok. The first, present here in years, is the 18th Reconnaissance Regiment.
In addition to professional soldiers of the Polish Army, the soldiers of the General Command, the Territorial Defence, the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate and the Military Gendarmerie besides participate in Operation Safe Podlasie.
People with the military feel safe
Residents located just off the border of Wyczółki village, in which young left-wing activists attacked soldiers of the Polish Army a fewer weeks ago, say soldiers defend them and are very needed.
On the another hand, about activists who created a camp close the village of Wyczółki, its inhabitants do not have a good opinion – These people are any kind of plague that attacked our village. I don't know what they live for due to the fact that they don't work, they just lie in tents and drink. Plus, any lesbian wedding late got advanced and attacked our beloved soldiers who defend us are guarding us. We have nothing in common with these activists and we are ashamed of what they are doing “This is Santa from Wyczółek.
A akin opinion about the defenders of the border has the resident of Wyczółek – Thanks to the Border defender and soldiers of the Polish Army, we feel safe at home. We are grateful to them for this – This is Mrs. Antonina.
The Minister of National Defence expressed his gratitude to the soldiers during his fresh stay in Podlasie – The hybrid war has reached its highest level. Poland is the mark of attacks and various actions. There is an attack on the Polish state. Thanks to you, thanks to soldiers of the Polish Army we are safe. I thank the soldiers and officers for their service. – said the head of MON Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish.
Current situation at the border
The effect of a large number of troops, on the Polish side, on the border with Belarus was visible on the first day of Operation Safe Podlasie. Then the following event took place – Fifty foreigners approached the border in the Michałów area. However, at the sight of Polish patrols, including mainly troops, they stopped trying to force it and retreated into Belarus. – says spokesperson for the Podlaskie Border defender Branch Major Katarzyna Zdanowicz.
Data from Border defender show that since the beginning of the year in Podlasek there have been over 21.2 1000 attempts to illegally cross the Belarusian-Polish border. People trying to get to Poland came from 41 countries. Since the beginning of July, more than 1.3 000 specified trials have been recorded.
Over the last 7 weeks there has been a decline in attempts to illegally cross the border in Podlasek by more than 70 percent. This is the consequence of the introduction of the buffer region and the launch of Operation Safe Podlasie. There is besides a clear improvement in average regular statistics. – On average, in July we had 42 attempts. In June there were over 120, and in May more than 220 This is Major of Border defender Katarzyna Zdanowicz, spokesperson for the Podlaskie Border defender Branch.
On the another hand, there have been fresh routes for the “transfer” of illegal immigrants from Lithuania. The border of Lithuania and Latvia with Belarus is not as well guarded as ours, so immigrants enter these countries and then effort to enter Poland.
The immigrants, which are mostly young men, are inactive aggressive. On 2 August at Mielnik, groups of foreigners on the Belarusian side attacked Polish patrols 3 times. Migrants threw stones, fortunately no 1 was injured. There's verbal aggression. Immigrants destruct Border defender and Police equipment.
Adam Białous
