Molotov cocktail thrown at Polish officers over Belarus border amid growing migration pressure

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

A Molotov cocktail was last night thrown from the Belarusian side of the border at Polish officers trying to prevent an illegal crossing by migrants. Poland says it believes that Belarus, which has engineered the long-running migration crisis, was aware of and allowed the attack to take place.

The incident came amid recent renewed migration pressure at the border, including an attack last week that resulted in a Polish soldier being hospitalised.

On Wednesday afternoon, the spokesman for Poland’s interior ministry, Jacek Dobrzyński, released footage showing what had taken place at a section of the border near the village of Czeremcha last night.

“Border guard officers and soldiers were attacked by individuals on the other side of the barrier,” wrote Dobrzyński. “A hail of stones rained down on the defenders of our border, and one of the attackers threw a Molotov cocktail in their direction…[which] shattered and spilled ignited liquid.”

The spokesman added that no one was injured and that, during the operation, ten foreign nationals – five Afghans and five Eritreans – were detained and remain in the custody of the Polish border guard.

“This incident is outrageous and unacceptable,” said Dobrzyński. “I am convinced that it could not have occurred without the knowledge and acquiescence of the Belarusian authorities. Full responsibility lies with Belarus, which has been conducting aggressive actions on this section of the border for several years.”

Poland’s defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also today highlighted the incident as an example of the “escalating aggression on the eastern border”. He added that this was precisely why last year the government made it easier for soldiers to use firearms when defending the border.

“Every such attack is an attack on the Polish state,” wrote Kosianiak-Kamysz. “Soldiers now have clear rules for the use of weapons and full legal protection. They must not be afraid to respond decisively when defending Poland.”

The decision to loosen firearms restrictions was made following the death of a Polish soldier who was stabbed while trying to prevent migrants from illegally crossing the border.

Earlier this year, a uniformed Belarusian officer was seen among a group of migrants who attacked Polish border guards.

The crisis at the border has been ongoing since mid-2021, when Belarus began encouraging and helping tens of thousands migrants – mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa – to try to cross into Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

Yesterday, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, a leading Polish daily, reporting that the number of attempted crossings at the border has recently been growing, while there has also been an “increase in aggression among those attempting to breach the border”.

The Polish border guard and army have recently shared videos of their officers having stones, branches and other objects thrown at them over and through the metal barrier along the border.

Kosiniak-Kamysz believes that the growing aggression is the result of Poland’s efforts to bolster security at the border, including through physical barriers and elecontric monitoring, which has made it harder to cross.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Martyna Niecko / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.