Poland has announced plans to bolster its troop presence by sending 2,000 soldiers to the Belarusian border. This move comes as a response to Belarusian exercises near the Polish border and concerns about increasing migration from the Middle East and Africa attempting to cross the border. Maciej Wasik, speaking on behalf of the security committee, stated that the decision to reinforce the troops was made jointly with Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak.
On the other side, Russia is also taking action to strengthen its military presence along its western borders. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu revealed this plan during a military council meeting, where he mentioned the reinforcement of the Russian Armed Forces troop grouping on the western borders, particularly in the Leningrad and Moscow districts.
This strategic move by Russia is in light of its earlier depletion of reserves, a consequence of its costly invasion of Ukraine. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that this invasion had significantly diminished Russia’s equipment and manpower reserves. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace noted that Russia may have committed up to 97 percent of its military forces in Ukraine, leading to reduced effectiveness by about 40 percent.
However, Russia has been taking steps to rebuild its military reserves. In June, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the intention to restore these reserves by the end of the month, including the addition of 3,700 pieces of military equipment. Shoigu also disclosed that the Russian army had recruited 114,000 contract soldiers and 52,000 volunteers to strengthen its forces.
