Poland discovers secret underground tunnels on Belarus border — The Telegraph
Photo: Russia smuggles migrants into Poland through tunnels (Getty Images)
Russia and Belarus have enlisted specialists from the Middle East to build underground tunnels used to smuggle illegal migrants into the European Union, The Telegraph reports.
Middle Eastern specialists involved
Polish border guards have already discovered four such sites in 2025.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Katarzyna Zdanowicz of the Polish Border Guard, one of the largest tunnels had a complex structure with concrete supports reinforcing the walls.
Military experts note that such construction techniques are typical of Middle Eastern militant groups.
"If I had to speculate, experts from the Middle East would be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad," said former British Army sapper, Major Rob Campbell after analyzing the incidents.
Sign of effective border protection
The use of underground routes is seen as a new escalation in the hybrid war waged by Minsk and Moscow against the West.
In December last year, 180 people attempted to cross the border through a 60-meter tunnel.
Poland’s Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Mroczek said that such a sophisticated method of crossing the border demonstrates Poland’s "effectiveness in stopping migration."
"Digging these tunnels means that our effectiveness in stopping migration is so high that it was decided to bring in specialists from the Middle East to dig them," Mroczek emphasized.
Goal of hybrid attacks
In addition to tunnels, Belarus has used balloons to stage provocations in NATO airspace.
Analysts stress that the Kremlin’s ultimate goal is to destabilize Europe and force Western governments to reduce support for Ukraine.
Balloons from Belarus over Poland
This is not the first time the Belarusian regime has used unconventional methods to provoke incidents along the border.
Previously, balloons were repeatedly launched from Belarusian territory into Polish airspace.
Polish border guards have repeatedly found such objects loaded with contraband cigarettes, used both for economic smuggling schemes and to test air defense systems.
Due to the scale of these launches, Poland was forced to temporarily close its airspace in border areas to ensure flight safety.
