Poland forms a division at the border with Belarus

16 July, 2023 Opening ceremony of a new military unit. Photo credits: 18th Reconnaissance Regiment. The opening ceremony of a new military unit, which became the first unit of the new Legion division, took place in the city of Kolno.

The Polish Ministry of Defense announced this on Twitter. The first unit was a motorized battalion. Brigadier General Norbert Iwanowski was appointed Commander of the infantry division.

The division will be stationed on the territory of four voivodeships: Podlaskie, Masovian, Warmian-Masurian, and Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Rosomak APC poster. Photo credits: Jakub Palowski.

The exact armament of the newly formed battalion has not yet been reported, but the poster showing a Rosomak armored personnel carrier with a ZSSW-30 turret was displayed during the event. According to the Polish government's plans, the new infantry division will be armed with M1 Abrams and K2 tanks.

In addition, the artillery brigade, which will be part of the new division, will receive 155-mm South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzers and Polish Krab self-propelled howitzers. The plan is that the number of personnel of the new division will reach 30 thousand soldiers.

Mariusz Blaszczak, Polish Minister of Defense, awarding soldiers of the 18th Reconnaissance Regiment during the opening ceremony of a new military unit. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Poland.

Four brigades of four battalions each are planned to be formed as part of the new military unit.

The new division should close the gap between the already created 16th and 18th Divisions and strengthen Poland's eastern border.

The Polish government announced more details about its plans to form a new division in January 2023.