Poland mobilizes police and army at the border with Kaliningrad, following warnings about possible acts of sabotage

Poland launched a large-scale operation on Tuesday along its border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad after authorities received information about possible acts of sabotage or provocations in the coming days. Police, border guards and the armed forces were mobilized to protect the population and infrastructure in the region.

Polish police chief Marek Boron announced that additional personnel had been sent to the border area. The army’s elite GROM unit was also deployed, according to a spokesperson for the armed forces.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland had prevented a possible provocation on its northern border overnight. He said Polish and allied intelligence services had been warning for several weeks about possible acts of subversion, including a potential incursion by armed individuals into Polish territory.

Tusk said security forces were mobilized quickly after suspicious activity was identified, but stressed that their intentions could not be fully confirmed. The prime minister called for a high level of vigilance to be maintained amid tensions with Russia.

Poland has a 232-kilometer border with Kaliningrad, a heavily fortified Russian territory located between Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members. Warnings of possible provocations come amid broader concerns about cyberattacks, sabotage and limited incursions targeting member states of the Alliance.