British troops to help strengthen Polish border
BRITISH army engineers will help bolster Poland’s border as thousands of migrants gather in neighbouring Belarus.
The Ministry of Defence said a small team are exploring how they can boost security.
About 150 British troops are already stationed in the Polish town of Orzysz, 80 miles from the border with Belarus.
The unit is part of a US-led battlegroup of Nato forces.
Britain is now deploying an additional ten engineers to the border. Mariusz Blaszczak, the
Polish defence minister, said the Royal Engineers had been sent on reconnaissance.
He added: “Our forces will co-operate in strengthening the fence”.
Yesterday Russia claimed Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko did not consult the Kremlin before threatening to cut gas flows to Europe.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia has always fulfilled contract obligations.”
Lukashenko threatened to cut gas supplies to Europe after the EU threatened it with further sanctions.
Moscow has dropped a battalion of paratroopers in Belarus near the Polish border in support for its ally.
The Belarusian military said the exercise was due to an “increase of military activities near the border”.
The country has been accused by EU countries of encouraging migrants to enter in a hybrid attack to damage security. Nato said yesterday: “Nato allies stand in solidarity with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and other allies affected.
“We will remain vigilant against the risk of further escalation and provocation by Belarus at its borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and will continue to monitor the implications for security.”
The Belarus airline, which had been accused of trafficking, said citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen would be barred from flights.