Poland deploys tank battalion near Belarus border

November 13, Pozirk. Poland has deployed a tank battalion in Czartajew, Podlaskie voivodeship, about 30 km from the shared border with Belarus, the Polish government’s website says.

A part of the 1st Legions Infantry Division of the Polish Army, the battalion will be equipped with South Korean K2 main battle tanks, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced on November 12.

Poland is well aware that the Kremlin started the war against Ukraine to restore the Russian Empire, he said, noting that Russia’s imperial aspirations have always been dangerous for its neighbors. Poland is boosting its defenses to stave off any attacks, he stressed.

An antitank brigade will reportedly be deployed in Siemiatycze (Czartajew) to strengthen northeastern Poland’s defenses. Its soldiers are trained to fight as a unit and independently, in all weather conditions and terrain.

The unit will eventually grow from some 100 servicemen to several hundred.

Polish authorities started setting up the 1st Infantry Division in September 2022. It will comprise 12 units, including four brigades, four regiments and three special battalions to be deployed in the Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, Warmian-Masurian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeships.

Its total manpower is expected to exceed 30,000 servicemen. The units will be equipped with K2 and Abrams tanks, K9 and Krab howitzers, and Gladius drones.