Belarus Arms Migrants, New Escalation At Border

Belarus ARMS migrants: Troops give tear gas to desperate refugees, tear down fences and try to blind Polish soldiers with lasers in new escalation of border warfare

Nick Fagge 

The bitter dispute between Warsaw and Minsk dramatically escalated last night when Belarusian troops ripped up the border fence and prevented Polish soldiers from rebuilding it.

Film footage released this morning by Poland's Border Force reveals how its troops were blinded by lasers and strobe lights as they tried to shore up the frontier.

Hours earlier Belarus forces had destroyed part of the 120 miles of barbed wire fencing that separates the east European states. Migrants were also armed with tear gas by the Belarus military to attack Polish forces once they got across the border. 

The incursion occurred near the town of Czeremcha which has seen hundreds of migrants pass through the frontier in recent weeks, amid accusations that Belarus is weaponizing the crisis with backing from Moscow.

The soldiers were carrying out the orders of their Minsk dictator leader Alexander Lukashenko to help migrants across the border to destabilise the EU.

A spokesman for the Polish Border Force told MailOnline: 'Last night near Czeremcha, Belarusian soldiers began to destroy the temporary border by tearing up fence posts. 

'Polish forces were blinded by laser beams and strobe light,' they said. 'Also, a group of about 100 migrants were to cross and Poland says Belarusians gave them tear gas, which was used against the Polish forces.'

Speaking on Saturday, Lukashenko said that he wanted Russian nuclear-capable Iskander missile systems to deploy them in the south and west of the country.

The dictator told the National Defence magazine that he needed the Iskander mobile ballistic missile system, which has a range of up to 500 kilometres and can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. 

'I need several divisions in the west and the south, let them stand (there),' he said.

EU members Poland and Lithuania lie to the west of Belarus. Its south borders Ukraine. Lukashenko gave no indication of whether he had held any talks with Moscow about receiving the missile system.

Russia's Defence Ministry did not immediately reply to a request to comment.

Belarus and Russia are formally part of a 'union state' and have been in talks for years to move closer together.