The night intervention in the Białowieża Forest ends with the shooting of a Sudanese rubber ball. What happened on July 22, and why did the Polish Army use smooth-bore weapons?
What do we know about the incident?
22 July at 8:37 p.m. Task Force Patrol The podlasie stopped five migrants who illegally crossed the border near Narewka. According to the Communication of the 12th Mechanized Division, soldiers used means of direct coercion, including smooth-bore weapons, as the group did not respond to instructions and acted aggressively.
As a result of the action, a Sudanese citizen suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh caused by a rubber bullet. Border Guard carried him to the SOR in Hajnówka; his life is not in danger.
Context of increasing tensions
Hybrid migration pressure
Since 2021, the regime of Alexander Lukashenka has been using migrants to destabilise the Polish border, as the Polish authorities call the "hybrid war". Only in the first half of July 2025 the Border Guard noted more than 1,100 attempts to illegally cross the border line, often with the support of Belarusian services.
Growing Aggression on Service
As of June 2024, the number of attacks on officers has been increasing. Migrants use stones, reworked sticks and knives; in May 2024 a Polish soldier was stabbed to death at the dam near Białowieża.
Why soldiers reached for smooth-bore weapons
It has a shorter range and less energy than sharp missiles
It is used to distract an aggressive crowd without causing fatal injuries
It is applicable after voice warnings in accordance with the Act on Direct Force
In the case of Narewka, soldiers assessed that the threat to their safety exceeded the threshold at which rubber bullets can be used.
Shooting Sudanczyk with a rubber ball is another signal that the crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border takes on a more dangerous character. More and more violent acts force soldiers and the Border Guard to reach for means of direct coercion.
In the face of the ongoing migration crisis and the growing number of aggressive incidents on the Polish-Belarusian border, let us support all Polish Army soldiers and Border Guard officers who are committed to guarding Poland's security.
Major Błażej Łukaszewski
Task Force Podlasie
Official Communication of the 12th Szczecin Mechanicalised Division
