Poland to set up new military unit near Belarus border
Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak said this during a visit to Augustów on Sunday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"An engineering battalion will be created in Augustów this year," Blaschak said.
He added that the military unit would be part of the 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade and part of the 16th Mechanized Division.
According to the minister, the unit will be armed including with wheeled mine laying systems.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Ministry of Defense this June purchased 24 wheeled Baobab-K mine planters of Polish production for the needs of its own army. Baobab-K is a new project developed by the Polish defense industry, which requires up to 22 minutes to set a minefield about 2 km long and 30-90 meters wide. The Polish army is set to accept this hardware for service in 2026-2028.
As Blaszczak recently stated, Poland is aware of the threat posed by the deployment of the Wagner Group in Belarus, so it moved two mechanized brigades from the west to the east of the country, closer to the border with Belarus. In particular, it is about the transfer of manpower and equipment of the 12th and 17th mechanized brigades from Szczecin and Mędzyrzecz.
Photo: PAP/Marcin Obar
