President of Poland Karol Nawrocki will hold a special meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Defence and the army on 18 September against the backdrop of recent security developments. Defence Minister Vladyslav Kosinyak-Kamysh and General Wiesław Kukula, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, have been invited to the meeting. Topics to be discussed include current threats and coordination between the bodies responsible for the country’s security.
- The President of Poland is convening a special meeting.
- The meeting will take place on 18 September.
- They will discuss the latest security developments.
- Belarus is conducting military exercises near the Polish border.
- The Polish army has also stepped up its state of readiness in response to Russian attacks.
The President of Poland is to meet with the army’s leadership
The head of Poland’s National Security Bureau announced the forthcoming meeting Bartos Grodecki.
According to him, Karol Nawrocki will hold talks with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Vladyslav Kosiniak-Kamysh, and the Chief of the General Staff, General Wiesław Kukula. The topic will be the current security situation and the measures Poland is taking in light of recent events. The parties will also discuss cooperation between the state institutions responsible for defence and security.
Prior to the meeting, the President had already familiarised himself with the analytical report prepared by the National Security Bureau. Following the meeting, the National Security Bureau plans to draw up recommendations on further systematic measures.
Belarus is conducting military exercises near the Polish border
The meeting will take place against the backdrop of Belarus’s military activity near the borders of Poland and Lithuania.
З 15 to 18 September Troops from the Western Operational Command of Belarus are conducting command-and-staff exercises. The practical stages are taking place, in particular, at the Brest and Ruzhany training grounds. They are located approximately 15 and 60 kilometres from the Polish border.
According to a statement from the Belarusian Ministry of Defence, the military are practising the defence of the state border, operations under martial law, the search for and neutralisation of sabotage groups, as well as countering drones and light aircraft. Minsk describes the manoeuvres as defensive.
Belarusian troops have been actively practising the use of drones
The current manoeuvres were preceded by a series of exercises involving units from the Western Operational Command.
Throughout September, the Belarusian military carried out exercises electronic warfare, aerial reconnaissance using UAVs, counter-drone measures and the camouflaging of positions. Mechanised units also practised setting up decoy positions.
Air defence units conducted live-fire exercises against aerial targets using «Osa» systems, whilst tank units deployed guided missiles. Specific training sessions focused on the use of electronic warfare equipment and coordination with unmanned systems.
Poland was building up its military air force
The security situation also escalated on the morning of 16 September against the backdrop of yet another Russian attack to Ukraine.
The Polish Operational Command reported that military aircraft had begun operations in the country’s airspace following Russian strikes on Ukraine using jet-powered drones. Operations at the airports in Lublin and Rzeszów were temporarily restricted, and warnings were issued to residents of eastern regions. Later, the Polish authorities stated that there was no immediate threat to the country’s territory.
A few days earlier, the military also detected a Russian drone off the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea. According to preliminary reports, it was one of the newer versions of the “Gerbera” drone. The drone was handed over to specialists for detailed examination.
Consequently, the Polish President’s forthcoming meeting will take place against a backdrop of both an intensification of Belarus’s military activity near the eastern border and a rise in the number of security incidents in the region linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
