Poland has deployed police counterterrorism units near Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave following intelligence warnings of possible sabotage in the coming days, Polish media reported on Nov. 2.
The units are working alongside the military, border guards and intelligence services in the Warmian-Masurian and Podlaskie regions of northeastern Poland, national police chief Marek Boroń told Polish news outlet RMF FM.
A special command centre has been established at the National Police Headquarters, with additional officers deployed from several regions.
According to RMF FM, Polish military intelligence and allied intelligence services warned last week that acts of sabotage could occur near the Russian border, potentially including incursions by armed groups.
Boroń said the increased presence of security was intended to protect residents and infrastructure amid concerns about sabotage and the activities of foreign intelligence services.
The police chief denied any connection between the mobilization and Poland’s ongoing Constitutional Tribunal crisis, which has sparked protests and confrontations between the government and opposition.
Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, bordered by Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members. The operation covers northeastern Poland, including the Podlaskie region bordering Belarus and Lithuania.
The security measures come amid heightened concerns over airspace incidents along NATO’s eastern flank. On Nov. 1, an unidentified object entered Latvian airspace, prompting an air raid warning and the deployment of a BLAZE interceptor drone before authorities declared the danger had passed.