Viral Video Falsely Claims Polish Troop Deployment to Belarus Border
The Claim
BREAKING: Poland Deploys Troops to Belarus Border: Tensions Rise with Russia.
News posted on
Emerging story
A 41-seconds video circulating on X claims that Poland has deployed troops to the Belarus border amid rising tensions with Russia.
An account on X, named "World War 3," shared a video accompanied by the caption:"BREAKING: Poland Deploys Troops to Belarus Border: Tensions Rise with Russia”.
The post added, “Poland, a key NATO member, has announced the deployment of troops to its border with Belarus, a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin. Russia has labeled this move a serious threat, warning of potential hostile consequences. Could this escalation lead to a broader conflict? Stay tuned for updates on this critical development."
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading. The video shows a Polish military parade.
Annual Warsaw Battle Celebration
After conducting a reverse search, Misbar’s team found that the video dates back to August 14.
Every year, Poland commemorates the historic victory of Polish troops under Marshal Józef Piłsudski over an advancing Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920 against the Russian Bolsheviks on August 15.
Around 80 airplanes and helicopters, 220 military vehicles and over 2,500 troops took part in the last annual military parade in Warsaw.
According to Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, this year's march on August 15 was a demonstration of "strength, agency, and unity" against "threats from the East."
Escalation on Poland-Ukraine borders
Following approval by President Joe Biden's administration, Ukraine launched six American-made ATACMS at Russia on November 19 and American-made HIMARS and British Storm Shadow missiles on November 21, according to Putin.
In a further escalation of the 33-month-old conflict, Russia launched a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on November 21 in retaliation for the United States and the United Kingdom permitting Kyiv to attack Russian territory with cutting-edge Western weapons.
The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that recent events demonstrate the genuine danger of a world war erupting.
Poland, which borders Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, has been a major voice in pressing for NATO allies to increase defense spending, and it plans to devote 4.7% of its GDP to strengthening its armed forces by 2025.
"The conflict is taking on dramatic proportions. The last few dozen hours have shown that the threat is serious and real when it comes to global conflict.", Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
In August 2023, Poland transferred about 1,000 troops to the east of the country, according to the defense minister, amid growing fear among NATO members that the deployment of Wagner Group militants in Belarus could lead to increasing border tensions.
The Wagner Group is a private military force led by a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin that has tens of thousands of fighters and has also fought in Syria and several African countries.
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