US gives Poland drones and thermal imagers to protect border
The United States has provided Poland with border protection equipment worth $2.1 million, including 45 drones and nine advanced thermal imaging cameras. The assistance was provided under an agreement signed on Tuesday.
As Notes from Poland reports, the US Embassy in Warsaw said that strengthening border security reinforces shared security. The diplomatic mission also said it plans to provide additional equipment, conduct training and share expertise in the future.
Training and cooperation
Poland’s Border Guard said that US support also includes training programs for its personnel, bilateral familiarization visits and the delivery of 15 snowmobiles next year. According to the service, since 2024 the United States has funded advanced tactical and technical training for Polish officers, including border protection tactics courses.
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Next month, the US side is expected to conduct training on the use of the transferred drones. On Tuesday, Polish border guards also received a delegation of representatives from the US Border Patrol and US Customs and Border Protection. The sides discussed sharing experience, strengthening cooperation and using modern technologies in response to migratory pressure.
Program for Poland and the Baltic states
According to Poland’s Border Guard, the transferred package is part of a broader US program worth approximately €12 million to support Poland and the Baltic states in connection with the situation on the borders with Belarus.
Since 2021, Belarus has facilitated attempts by migrants, mainly from Africa and Asia, to irregularly cross the European Union’s external border with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Poland has strengthened physical and electronic barriers on its border with Belarus and temporarily prohibited asylum applications from people who irregularly crossed the border from Belarus. The Polish side says that the number of attempted illegal border crossings has fallen by 98% this year.
