A border official standing guard on the Polish-Belarusian border near the village of Nomiki, Poland, on November 18, 2022. In response to escalating tensions with their Russian ally, Poland has launched a new military task force comprised of 4,000 soldiers. This task force aims to provide training and defense. (File Photo by Artur Reszko/EPA-EFE)
Aug. 12 (UPI) — Poland’s defense minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, has announced the establishment of a permanent military task force consisting of 4,000 soldiers near the border with Belarus, a Russian ally. The task force has been formed for the purposes of training and defense. Blaszczak made the announcement during a visit to a temporary camp near the Belarus border, where Polish soldiers are currently stationed in Jarylowka, Podlaskie province.
“There is no doubt that the Polish border is under threat,” said Blaszczak during an interview with reporters at the camp. He expressed concerns about ongoing pressures on the border, including attempts by migrants to illegally cross into Poland, which he believes are being encouraged by the Belarusian regime in cooperation with the Kremlin, with the aim of destabilizing the country. (Source: Polish news agency PAP)
According to the defense minister, the new permanent task force, codenamed “Rengaw,” will consist of 4,000 members from the Polish Army. Its main objectives are deterrence and training of soldiers in the Podlaskie border region. Additionally, it will serve as a reserve force in case the security situation deteriorates further.
The establishment of the task force is part of “Operation Gryf,” a larger effort that will see a total of approximately 10,000 troops deployed to the border with Belarus. This decision comes amid escalating tensions between Poland and Belarus, following alleged airspace violations and repeated illegal border crossing attempts.
Reports have also emerged about the movement of Wagner mercenaries towards Poland’s Suwalki Gap, which shares a border with Russia’s Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad.
The newly appointed commander of the task force, Col. Arkadiusz Mikołajczyk, stated that the soldiers will operate within an area 250 miles wide and 100 miles deep from the border, primarily during nighttime operations.
