The military is preparing to launch Operation Safe Podlasie and the Ministry of defence to change the law so that soldiers can be certain of the situations in which they can usage the weapon. “This is the biggest fight that the Polish state has fought since the end of the Second War”, said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, during a press conference on the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border.
Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz presented present the actions that the Ministry of Defence has taken since the beginning of the year to strengthen the east border. These are, as he mentioned, logistics, training and individual equipment of soldiers (Operation Szpej). The head of the MON assured that the late purchased modern equipment first goes to the units that send soldiers to the border. “There are besides dense equipment in the border area, including the Rosomaki and armored transporters”, said the minister.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that 40% of training in the army was increased. all day, 60,000 soldiers practice on the ground, including preparing for fresh tasks at the border. – Soldiers request preparation to fight the crowd and for preventive actions. In the border region, soldiers with experience gained on the mission, e.g. in Kosovo, are needed – Kosiniak-Kamysz mentioned.
Minister of Defence announced that Poland will not halt until a man is captured who He killed the sergeant. Matthew Sitka of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade. “All state services, including Polish troops, peculiar services, Border defender and police, are active in the pursuit of this bandit,” said the head of the MON.
During the conference, the Minister of Defence besides referred to the detention in March of soldiers who utilized their weapons during the border service. 2 of them were charged with overshooting. – I believe this case will end positively, but doubts must be clarified He said. He besides informed that as of November 2023 4 cases of illegal usage of arms at the border had been initiated, and only one, from March, ended with the prosecution filing charges. Kosiniak-Kamysz admitted that the usage by the military police of handcuffs against soldiers detained in March was in accordance with regulations. The decision to usage them, as he said, was made by the individual who carried out the detention. According to information from the Ministry of Defence during the 4 years of the HSC during the detention, she applied handcuffs 570 times. – specified coercion measures should not be abused. There have been cases erstwhile they were applied in accordance with the law, but overzealously, so we are amending the Act on WZW – explained the minister and announced that in the fresh regulations the usage of handcuffs against soldiers would be the eventual measure.
The head of the MON besides referred to the plans to amend Laws on Defence of the Motherland. "Amendments to the law are essential to adapt it to the hybrid war applied to the Polish state. We prepare fresh regulations in agreement with the Ministry of abroad Affairs – Kosiniak-Kamish reminded. They concern, among others, the introduction of the anticipation of armed forces participating in military operations conducted in the territory of the Republic during peace and the definition of rules on the usage of arms and military weapons. “We request to describe the current situation between war and peace,” he said.
The Ministry of Defence besides wants to change parts of the regulations, e.g. in the penal code, so that soldiers can be certain that they can usage weapons against those who endanger their wellness and life and the safety of Poland. The next step in this direction is to set up a legal aid office in which soldiers can benefit from free legal support.
Film: Mateusz Paderewski, Magdalena Kowalska-Sendek / ArmouredTV
On the another hand, Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk reported that the draft amendment of the Law on the Defence of the Motherland was already ready. “We want it to be passed by Parliament as shortly as possible”, stressed the Secretary of State. Tomczyk besides talked about adopted yesterday by the Government of the National Fear and Defence Programme – Shield East, for which the Polish state will allocate a minimum of PLN 10 billion. A steering committee will shortly be set up on this issue with representatives from, among others, MON, the Ministry of abroad Affairs and another ministries. "It is simply a military task to strengthen the border so that Poland, the European Union and the east flank of NATO can be better defended," explained Tomczyk.
General Wiesław Kukuła, Head of the General Staff of the HR, talked about the preparation of a fresh military operation on the border “Safe Podlasie”, which will begin on 1 August. “We have no uncertainty that the migration force on our country will be maintained, so we presume the long-term maintenance of the armed forces at the border as support for the Border Guard”, said Gen. Kukuła.
Two current operations will be combined under the Safe Podlasie operation: Rengaw and Gryf. “The forces of the fresh organizational operation will match Polish military contingents abroad,” said the head of SGWP. Like them, they will be preceded by training (including police activities) and certification. “We are planning that the mission will last at least 3 years, during which time a border defence component will be built in territorial defence troops, which will take over from the operational forces the task of supporting the Border Guard,” said Gen. Kukuła.
This year, soldiers and officers utilized weapons at the border 1,300 times. For comparison, the 2023 utilized 320 times. I believe soldiers do everything they can. Let us besides remember that they are operating under large stress, under large pressure, so we will support them in all situation – the head of the MON assured.
