Poles’ 130-mile razor wire to block Putin’s migrant influx
POLAND is building a 130-mile “temporary” razor wire fence on its border with Russian province Kaliningrad to stop illegal crossings.
Warsaw fears Vladimir Putin is planning to orchestrate an influx of African and Middle Eastern migrants to destabilise the region.
The move came as officials in Moscow blamed Western provocation for bringing the world to the brink of nuclear conflict.
Polish defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak revealed work had begun on the fence.
It will be 8ft high and 10ft wide and feature an electronic monitoring system and cameras.
Mr Blaszczak said: “The airport in Kaliningrad is accepting flights from the Middle East and North Africa. I decided to take action to enhance the security of the Polish border.”
Blackouts
Poland built a steel wall last year along its border with Russian ally Belarus after a migrant influx there.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko says 1,000 emergency “heating points” will be set up in case Russia knocks out infrastructure and residents face freezing to death. The heating points will have generators and a stock of necessities such as water.
Mr Klitschko warned blackouts will continue despite water and power supplies being restored in most areas of the capital.
He said electricity demand had to be managed amid a spiralling energy crisis.
Russian missile and drone attacks have damaged 40 per cent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and periodically left large parts of the capital without power and water.
The Russian foreign ministry said it feared the big five nuclear powers were “on the brink of a direct armed conflict”. It said the West must stop “encouraging provocations with weapons of mass destruction”.
The ministry added it was “convinced that in the current complicated and turbulent situation, caused by irresponsible and impudent actions aimed at undermining our national security, the most immediate task is to avoid any military clash of nuclear powers”.
Western capitals have said Moscow has been escalating nuclear tensions since its war in Ukraine began in February.