Polish police deploy to Kaliningrad border
Polish police started a special operation to secure the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad after receiving information that acts of sabotage may take place in the coming days. Marek Boron, the national police chief, confirmed the deployment of additional officers and counter-terrorism forces to the northeastern Podlasie and Warmia-Masuria provinces. Boron told RMF that police are putting security measures in place around the Kaliningrad region in anticipation of possible incidents that could lead to acts of sabotage. He said these actions follow information from external security services. He added that the police are responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens living there, as well as for facilities and any situations that may pose a threat to society. This operation involves direct coordination between the police, the army, the border guard, and security services. Katarzyna Nowak, a spokeswoman for the national police headquarters, told broadcaster TVN that she cannot provide more information because the details are confidential. The national police headquarters told RMF that the ongoing operation is directly related to the situation taking place in the country today, specifically regarding acts of sabotage and the actions of eastern services. Last week, Poland’s Military Intelligence Service and agencies from unnamed allied countries issued a warning that sabotage activities could involve border violations by armed groups.
Context of recent border threats
Last Thursday, deputy police commander Tomasz Michulka ordered officers to be on "full readiness" between 2 and 8 November. Some interpreted this order as related to the situation at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, where riot police were called in on Friday to secure the court amid protests. However, the police issued a statement on Friday night emphatically denying that the order had anything to do with the situation at the tribunal. Boron wrote to officers that the order responded to "attempts to destabilise our country by foreign intelligence services from the east". I find the increased police presence in the northeastern provinces a necessary response to the pattern of incursions. A Russian military helicopter entered Polish airspace from Kaliningrad in September and remained there for 42 seconds before returning to its origin. In July, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile carrying a significant explosive payload entered Polish airspace from Ukraine before landing in a field in eastern Poland. The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism identified Poland as the "primary focus" of Russia’s sabotage operations in Europe earlier this year, citing an arson attack on Warsaw’s largest shopping centre and a train derailment attempt. The Polish government has regularly warned in recent months that Moscow is planning further provocations against eastern NATO member states, including potential border violations.
