Poland Urges Its Citizens to Immediately Leave Belarus

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland has issued an urgent appeal to its citizens, strongly urging them to refrain from visiting the Republic of Belarus, and for those already there, to leave the country's territory as soon as possible. This decision, as stated in a message published on the official government website of Poland, is due to the sharp deterioration of the security situation in the region, ongoing military operations, and the increased frequency of arbitrary detentions of Polish citizens in Belarus.

According to information provided by the Polish Embassy in Minsk, the situation is assessed as unstable and unpredictable. The foreign policy department specifically emphasizes that in the event of a further escalation of the security situation, possible border closures, or other unforeseen complications, the evacuation of citizens could become extremely difficult or even impossible. In this context, the government urges its citizens not to delay and to treat the current situation with the utmost seriousness.

Currently, only one checkpoint is open for passenger traffic with Poland: the Terespol-Brest route. For freight transport, the Koroszczyn (Kukuryki) - Kozlovichi checkpoint is operational. The limited operation of border checkpoints itself creates additional risks.

It is noteworthy that the situation is developing against a backdrop of rather contradictory events. On September 23, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland, Marcin Kierwiński, signed a decision to reopen border checkpoints with Belarus, which could be seen as a step towards easing tensions. However, before that, on the night of September 11, all border checkpoints between Poland and Belarus were closed, with a complete cessation of bilateral traffic. Russia had threatened Poland with "consequences," viewing this move as a provocative action.