Poland to close remaining border crossings with Belarus

The Polish authorities have notified the Belarusian side of the upcoming closure of the remaining operating border crossing points on September 12, according to the press service of the State Border Committee of Belarus.

The committee said it received an official notification from the Border Guard of the Republic of Poland stating that the remaining international border crossings on the Belarusian-Polish border will close from 1:00 a.m. Belarusian time (2:00 a.m.GMT+4) on September 12, Caliber.Az reports via Belarusian media. 

The Polish side has pledged to provide further information on the dates for the resumption of operations at the checkpoints.

The border closure comes in the wake of heightened security concerns following several incidents earlier this month. On the night of September 10, 2025, multiple Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting Warsaw to activate its air defence systems. A total of 19 drones were detected, of which four were shot down. Wreckage from the drones was later found across both military and civilian areas.

In response to the incidents, Poland has temporarily closed parts of its eastern airspace near the borders with Ukraine and Belarus, with restrictions set to remain in place at least until the end of December. Russia claimed the drones’ range did not exceed 700 km and denied targeting Poland, though analysts noted that the Gerbera drones were equipped with additional fuel tanks, allowing them to reach Polish territory.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also linked the upcoming border closure to Russia-led military exercises taking place in Belarus. The exercises, known as “Zapad-2025,” are being conducted in western Russia and Belarus and have raised security concerns in neighbouring NATO member states including Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

By Sabina Mammadli