Soldier shoots undocumented migrant amid scuffle on Polish border
A Polish Army soldier on Tuesday night fired a rubber bullet at an aggressive migrant on Poland's border with Belarus, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces (DORSZ) has reported.
DORSZ said on X on Wednesday that the incident happened as soldiers were trying to stop migrants illegally crossing into Poland from Belarus.
"In accordance with the binding procedures, soldiers of the Podlasie Task Force used direct coercive measures, including riot guns," DORSZ wrote, adding that the migrants failed to comply with the soldiers' orders.
🇵🇱 #BezpiecznePodlasie 🚧🇧🇾
Komunikat dotyczący incydentu na granicy państwowej z Białorusią 22 lipca 2025 r.⤵️https://t.co/CWQsP5d9sE#PołączeniDlaBezpieczeństwa🤝#JointForSecurity@MON_GOV_PL @SztabGenWP @Polska_Zbrojna @PAPinformacje @MSWiA_GOV_PL @KPRM_CIR https://t.co/wwdCBFQOyI— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) July 23, 2025
The actions were aimed to ensure the security of soldiers and prevent the aggressive behaviour of the migrants, DORSZ said.
The soldiers handed five detained migrants over to the Border Guard.
The Sudanese national who was shot in the thigh with the rubber bullet was transported to the emergency unit in the nearby town of Hajnowka. The migrant's life is not in danger.
The Border Guard reported about 100 attempts of illegal crossing at Poland's border with Belarus on Tuesday. A group of 20 migrants breached the border but were apprehended, according to Katarzyna Zdanowicz, spokeswoman for the Podlasie Unit of the Border Guard. (PAP)jd/jch
