A Ukrainian national was detained by Polish border guards after attempting to ferry five foreign nationals across the Belarusian border. The incident was reported by the Ministry, which issued a statement via social media to inform the public about the development.
Officials described the episode as taking place in the Dubiche-Tserkevna sector, where the Ukrainian citizen was discovered with five Ethiopians in transit. The border service in Poland provided additional data on border crossings on the same day, noting that a total of 187 people, including nationals of Somalia and Iran, sought entry into Poland from Belarus. Of those entrants, 45 people did not complete the crossing and were returned to Belarus as part of the management of irregular migration.
In response to the ongoing tensions at the border, Mariusz Kaminski, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, indicated that a police contingent of roughly 500 officers would be deployed along the frontier with Belarus to supervise the area more closely. He added that this group would join a larger security contingent consisting of 5,000 border guards and 2,000 soldiers already tasked with guarding the border, creating a more expansive and coordinated boundary presence.
Earlier, Polish President Andrzej Duda had signaled readiness to fortify and reinforce the border with Belarus in connection with the movement of fighters connected to a private military company into Belarus. This stance reflected broader concerns about stability on the frontier and the potential implications for regional security and migration flows.
On July 1, leaders within Poland’s security apparatus, including the head of the National Security Bureau, highlighted the possibility that fighters associated with the Wagner private military company could leverage the presence of African migrants to destabilize Belarus. This assessment underscored ongoing worries about how evolving security dynamics at the border might influence migrant movements and regional security calculations.
Earlier statements from Moscow and Minsk had suggested a stance that could affect how border management is conducted and perceived, with officials in Minsk signaling a willingness to adjust procedures in response to shifting security conditions. The overall picture points to a border region under heightened scrutiny as authorities seek to balance humanitarian considerations, lawful immigration control, and national security priorities.