Poland Raises Alarm over Wagner PMC Activities
Poland and Lithuania's Concerns Grow
Overt Operator
August 04, 2023
A stark warning issued by Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasizes the escalating threat posed by Russia's Wagner Group. Morawiecki cautions that potential "sabotage actions" by the mercenary organization pose a significant risk to the stability of NATO.
In a meeting with Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda at the Suwałki Gap, a strategic corridor connecting Poland and Lithuania, Morawiecki discussed the rising concerns related to the Wagner forces. Recently, some of these mercenaries have been relocated to Belarus, following an unsuccessful mutiny against the Kremlin in June.
Morawiecki highlighted how Poland has been the target of numerous hybrid attacks over the years, with Russia and Belarus ramping up their provocations and intrigues. "Our borders have been stopping various hybrid attacks for years," Morawiecki said. "Russia and Belarus are increasing their numerous provocations and intrigues in order to destabilize the border of NATO’s eastern flank.”
Nausėda was in full agreement, stating that the Wagner mercenaries' presence in Belarus represents a security threat for Lithuania, Poland, and other NATO allies. "We stay vigilant and prepared for any possible scenario," Nausėda wrote on social media. Morawiecki suggested that the number of Wagner mercenaries stationed in Belarus could exceed 4,000.
The Polish prime minister expressed gratitude for Lithuania's military cooperation, pledging to defend every piece of NATO member states' land. Morawiecki went on to remark, “Today, the borders of Poland and Lithuania are the borders of the free world that stops the pressure from the despotism from the East," in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Nausėda suggested that any decision about closing the border with Belarus should be a coordinated effort involving Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, as reported by the national broadcaster LRT.
The Wagner Group, under the leadership of Yevgeny Prigozhin, moved some of its troops to Belarus from Russia in an agreement to quell the group’s 24-hour rebellion against Moscow. The relocation immediately led to heightened tensions with neighboring countries. Poland has responded by redeploying military units to the eastern part of the country, closer to the frontier with Belarus.
The situation intensified on Tuesday when Poland relocated troops to its border after alleging that two Belarusian helicopters had violated its airspace. Belarus dismissed the accusation, but Poland informed NATO about the incident and summoned Belarusian representatives for talks.