A burned-out car in the Belgorod region of Russia. © IMAGO/Tsitsagi Nikita
Polish soldiers were allegedly on Russian soil. However, these were not NATO soldiers, but a volunteer corps subordinate to Ukraine.
Belgorod – For a long time, Russian politicians such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have put forward the narrative that "the West" is waging a war against Russia. The delivery of weapon systems, such as battle tanks, has given this narrative a boost. In fact, the Western NATO countries are not in direct military conflict with Russia. However, a group of Polish soldiers is said to have actually been on site in Belgorod on the Ukrainian side.
Specifically, it is a Polish volunteer corps, which bears the name PDK. The group claims to be there and shares pictures of themselves via Telegram.
Ukraine war: Polish soldiers on Russian soil?
The statements of Polish soldiers, who are experts in reconnaissance and sabotage, are relatively unambiguous. They would often be asked if they had actually taken part in a maneuver in Belgorod. "The answer is clear: of course," the group writes. The Volunteer Corps also released several pictures to prove that they were indeed in the Russian region, one of which shows a wounded soldier.
The PDK is a special unit that does not belong to the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, but is directly subordinate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was founded in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine. According to the Polish media Onet, the unit is an extremely strict, disciplined group.
Polish units, according to experts, are not NATO troops
However, these are not NATO troops actively intervening in the Ukraine war. This is due to the fact that although they are Polish citizens, their unit is integrated into the Ukrainian military. Military expert Thomas Wiegold classifies the situation as follows, as t-online reports: "When foreign citizens fight for the Ukrainian army, they are not NATO troops. It doesn't matter whether they're Poles or Americans."
Although this is not an intervention by NATO soldiers in the war, it can be assumed that the leadership in Moscow will not miss the opportunity to instrumentalize the Polish soldiers for Russian propaganda. (lp)