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annual Armed Forces Day holiday
Verdict: Incorrect
The video being circulated online, purported to show Polish tanks heading toward the Belarus border, is actually old footage from an annual military parade held in August, not a deployment related to current tensions.
Fact Check:
Social media users are spreading a video clip, falsely claiming it depicts Polish troops being dispatched to the border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia. One user framed it as “BREAKING: ‘Poland Deploys Troops to Belarus Border: Tensions Rise with Russia,'” describing Poland as “a key NATO member” and Belarus as “a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin.”
However, the footage dates back to three months ago, and there are no credible reports indicating Poland is sending forces to the Belarusian frontier. The clip first surfaced on TikTok on August 15, with an similarly inaccurate description.
German NATO forces unusually deployed near Medininkai, Lithuania—just 2km from Belarus border—as Belarusian Armed Forces ramp up combat readiness pic.twitter.com/feUHWWWisE
— Bandera Fella *-^ (@banderafella) March 27, 2024
On August 15, Poland commemorated its yearly Armed Forces Day holiday, celebrating the country’s 1920 triumph over the Soviet Union. More than 2,500 Polish soldiers participated in the parade, showcasing military vehicles like tanks and jets, according to the Associated Press.
The tanks seen in both videos match those featured in social media posts from mid-August, showing the vehicles being transported and driven during the Warsaw parade to mark the occasion.
Polish soldiers have been engaged all-day today defending their border with Belarus from illegals from Africa and the Middle East.
The soldiers have been using shields to deflect objects being thrown at them.
They’ve also been cursing at the illegals.pic.twitter.com/09d6xVhn8O
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 12, 2024
One August 15 post noted Poland was “celebrating the 104th anniversary of defeating the Soviet Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw,” adding that the Polish army annually “brings out its tanks, howitzers and IFVs [infantry fighting vehicles] for a military parade in front of the Royal Castle in Warsaw.”
The most recent credible report of Poland considering troop movements near Belarus was in August 2023, when CNN reported Poland planned to deploy 10,000 soldiers along the Belarusian border due to concerns over potential instability from the Russian military Wagner Group, which was stationed in Belarus at the time.