The Polish authorities have discovered a series of underground tunnels crossing the country’s eastern border with Belarus, describing the situation as a significant escalation of what they call a hybrid campaign coordinated by Moscow and Minsk to destabilize Europe, reports The Telegraph.
According to Polish officials, four tunnels were detected in 2025 along the heavily fortified border. The structures would have been used to introduce migrants into the European Union. The tunnels were discovered by the Podlaskie Border Guard Unit, with the help of thermal imaging cameras and other detection systems.
“The officers of the Podlaskie Border Guard Unit discovered a total of four tunnels under the border with Belarus, all in 2025,” said Lt. Col. Katarzyna Zdanowicz of the Polish Border Police.
She added that layered security systems allow the authorities’ intervention “even in the case of attempts at underground crossing”.
One of the largest tunnels was discovered in mid-December, near the village of Narewka, in eastern Poland. According to the authorities, it was about 1.5 meters high, and the entrance was hidden in a forested area on the Belarusian side. The tunnel stretched approximately 50 meters into Belarusian territory and another 10 meters into Polish territory.
The authorities claim that about 180 migrants – mainly from Afghanistan and Pakistan – used the tunnel to cross the border. Most were detained shortly after they emerged on the Polish side. The police released images of 130 of the people arrested following the operation.
The video footage from inside shows a narrow space, reinforced with concrete structures to prevent collapse, suggesting a level of technical sophistication above that of the improvised smuggling routes previously observed at the border.