How to deal with aggressive crowds, defend yourself from attacks with stones and knives, operate in combat formation, utilizing shields and gas throwers – this is what soldiers serving on the Polish-Belarusian border have late learned. The training is conducted by police officers from the prevention unit in Białystok.
– On patrols, on the another hand, we frequently get stones and glass. We are attacked with makeshift spears and sticks. We gotta deal with this. That's why specified classes are priceless for us,” he emphasizes. Rafał Kurzawa, who serves on the Polish-Belarusian border as part of the Military Task Group “Podlas”. A fewer days ago, he took part in a training run by police officers from the prevention unit in Białystok. – We learned how to operate in compact formations, utilizing shields or batons. For us it is fresh cognition – admits the soldier.
Training started a fewer days ago. “Our officers share many years of experience gained at least during the protection of mass events,” explains Mr. In fresh years 250 prevention specialists have been drawn to the Polish-Belarusian border. They have strengthened police forces, which presently number nearly 700 officers. They defender the border but besides effort to catch those active in smuggling illegal migrants. At the same time, they cooperate with border guards and troops. Police cognition can be useful especially in light of fresh events. The media has repeatedly reported that the force on the border is expanding and that groups of aggressive migrants are repeatedly entering Poland. According to MON statistics, only soldiers have been forced to fire more than a 1000 informing shots since the beginning of the year. “We request to make changes in the way our soldiers and officers operate,” said Czesław Mroczek, deputy chief of the Ministry of abroad Affairs, on Polish Radio 24. He added that it was primarily about providing them with adequate individual protective equipment and the dissemination of techniques related to neutralising aggressive groups. “So far, it has not been done properly,” Mr.
Meanwhile, additional training for soldiers will be conducted not only at the border. We've got quite a few rotation here. Subdivisions trade all fewer weeks. Therefore, shortly training under police supervision will besides be carried out in their home units. This will liquidate the full process – admits Major Magdalena Kościńska, spokesperson for WZZ “Podlasie”.
But that is not the end. After ambiguities related to the detention of soldiers who fired shots at the feet of charging migrants, as well as the death of their knifed colleague, the government announced changes to the penal code. The law is to better defend the military, who will scope for weapons against persons threatening their health, life or safety of Poland. Within 3 years within the WOT, a peculiar component of border defence troops should besides be built, which will take on the task of supporting border guards. It was during the last press conference that General Wiesław Kukuła, head of the General Staff of the Polish Academy of Sciences, announced.
Several 1000 soldiers presently service on the Polish-Belarusian border.
