Poland to Deploy Weapons Near Russian Border From May 4-6 for NATO Drills

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Polish military equipment will be deployed near the Polish-Russian border from May 4-6 in northeastern Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship as part of NATO's Steadfast Defender drills, the Polish Armed Forces General Command said.

"Be especially careful in the near future, as you may encounter numerous military convoys on the route. The culmination of the exercises will take place from May 4-6 in the regions of the West Pomeranian, Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian voivodeships," the command said on X on Tuesday.

​​NATO kicked off Steadfast Defender 24 in January. The war games are running through May and include over 90,000 troops from all 32 member states. The second phase of the drills is focused on moving troops across Europe. During the drills, the allies plan to test out a conflict scenario against a "near-peer adversary" in accordance with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one ally is considered an attack against the entire NATO and allows for the provision of appropriate assistance.

In January, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik that the scale of the 2024 iteration of Steadfast Defender marks the final and irrevocable return of the alliance to Cold War schemes to counter Russia. These exercises are another element of the hybrid war unleashed by the West against Russia, he added.