Poland Extends Buffer Zone on Belarusian Border for Another 90 Days

This week, the border buffer zone on the border with Belarus will be extended for another 90 days. This was announced by Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration of the Republic of Poland Czeslaw Mroczek on Channel One of Polish Radio. A temporary ban on staying in a certain area in the zone adjacent to the state border with the Republic of Belarus has been in effect since June 13, 2024.

The current resolution is valid until September 11. The buffer zone's length is over 60 kilometers long. It is located within the border posts in Narewka, Bialowieza, Dubicze Cerkiewne, and Czeremcha.

"We would like to extend the validity of the zone for another three months, as it is one of the elements of strengthening and building an electronic barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border. This buffer zone helped to reduce the number of illegal border crossings," Mroczek explained.

Buffer zone on the Polish-Belarusian border, illustration geoportal.gov.pl

The buffer zone extends 200 meters from the state border along a 44-kilometer stretch. In a section of the protected area, approximately 16 kilometers long, the zone widens to about two kilometers.

Incidents on the Polish-Belarusian border

Previously, Militarnyi reported that on May 28, 2024, a Polish soldier was injured on the border of Poland and Belarus.

The incident occurred during an attack by a group of about 50 foreigners who threw branches and stones at the Polish patrol. While trying to cross the border by force, one of them injured a Polish soldier. The victim was then given first aid.

At this time, the migrants continued to behave aggressively, attacking the injured soldier and the border guard who was assisting him. After that, on July 14, 2024, the Polish parliament passed a law that allowed law enforcement agencies to use combat weapons to deter illegal migrants. The Polish Sejm has voted in favor of amendments to the Law on the Activities of the Army and Services, which expands the powers and removes liability for the use of firearms and coercive means in case of encroachment on the inviolability of the state border.

According to the new law, a representative of the army, police, and border guard service may use weapons to repel a direct attack on the life, health, or freedom of themselves or another person, as well as actions aimed at doing so.