Kremlin calls Poland reinforcing Belarus border amid Wagner presence a “cause for concern”

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo via Flickr of a Polish service member dated 2015

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Poland's decision to bolster its forces along its border with Belarus in response to the presence of Russian Wagner mercenary fighters was "a cause for concern".

Poland, a member of the Western NATO military alliance, began moving over 1,000 troops, along with military hardware, to the east this month.

Warsaw had previously announced it was also sending 500 police to shore up security on the border to cope with rising numbers of migrants crossing, as well as the prospect of a Wagner presence.

The Belarusian defence ministry said on Thursday that Wagner mercenaries had started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range just a few miles from the border with Poland.

Asked about Poland's move, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "Of course it is a cause for concern. The aggressiveness of Poland is a reality.

"Such a hostile attitude towards Belarus and the Russian Federation requires heightened attention (from our side)."



(Reporting by Andrew Osborn/Felix Light; Editing by Kevin Liffey)