Category: Belarus

Poland Says Belarus Staged Armed Intrusion at Border, Summons Envoy

WARSAW—Poland accused Belarus on Wednesday of staging an armed cross-border intrusion and said it had summoned the Belarusian charge d’affaires to protest over what it said was “a deliberate escalation” of the migrant crisis at the frontier. Belarus rejected the allegation as unfounded and intended to sully its image. Minsk also denies Polish and European…


Belarusian Cargo Plane Crashes in Russia, All 7 Aboard Dead

MOSCOW—A Belarusian cargo plane crashed Wednesday while trying to land in eastern Russia, killing all seven people on board, officials said. The Soviet-built An-12 operated by Belarusian carrier Grodno crashed and caught fire near Irkutsk, eastern Siberia. Belarus’ Investigative Committee, the top state investigative agency, said there were seven people on board and all of…


Poland Presents Bill to Strengthen Military as More Troops Enforce Border Crisis

Poland again sent thousands of troops to further strengthen its border defenses with neighboring Belarus as officials also presented plans on Tuesday for a bill to “defend the fatherland” which aims at building up the Polish military. “We are increasing the number of soldiers helping the Border Guard by 2,500,” Mariusz Blaszczak wrote on Twitter….


Poland Deploys Thousands More Soldiers on Belarus Border

Poland strengthened its border with neighboring Belarus by adding nearly 3,000 soldiers as the country recently reported record-high migration levels, prompting stepped-up security measures, the defense minister said on Tuesday. “Almost 6,000 soldiers from the 16th, 18th, and 12th divisions are serving on the Polish-Belarusian border,” Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in a statement…


French Ambassador Ordered out of Belarus in Diplomatic Spat

PARIS—France says that its ambassador to Belarus has been ordered out of the country. In a communique Monday, France’s Foreign Minister said that Ambassador Nicolas de Lacoste’s departure on Sunday was due to the “unilateral decision” of Belarusian authorities. Local media say the move to kick the ambassador out is linked to fallout over the…


Poland to Improve Border by Spending Over $400 Million on New Wall

Poland’s government plans to spend more than $400 million on improving its border defense by building a solid barrier along the countries’ border with Belarus as immigration levels have recently surged. The country’s latest announcement came as German police reported an upsurge in the number of migrants illegally entering Germany—the most popular final destination among asylum seekers—after first crossing…


Belarus Leader Accuses NATO of Building Bases During Annual Drill in Ukraine

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, in a joint response with the Kremlin, has accused the United States of setting up bases while conducting an annual military exercise in Ukraine, involving thousands of troops from NATO member countries. Ukraine, together with service members from more than a dozen nations, launched Rapid Trident 21—an annual Ukrainian-led, American-assisted training…


Merkel Calls Migrant Push at EU’s Border ‘Unacceptable’

WARSAW, Poland—German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that she found it unacceptable that refugees were being used to apply pressure to Poland and other European Union members on the border with Belarus. Speaking at a news conference during what she said she expected to be her last official visit to Poland as chancellor, Merkel appealed…


Russia Moves Sukhoi Su-30 Fighter Jets to Belarus to Patrol Borders, Minsk Says

MOSCOW—Russia has sent Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets to western Belarus to form a joint military training center, fly joint missions and patrol the two countries’ borders, the Belarusian defense ministry said on Wednesday. The announcement comes two days before the start of military drills in Belarus and Russia that have prompted consternation in the NATO…


Large Shipment of Russian Weapons Expected Soon: Belarus President

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko announced Wednesday the Eastern European country will soon receive a large consignment of Russian-made weapons and hardware. The authoritarian leader told reporters during a press briefing on Sept. 1 the batch will include dozens of fighter jets, helicopters, and defense systems—likely the S-400 air defense systems, Belta news agency reported. “I…