East Front News #6: Belarusian Propaganda, Tensions in the Middle East, Unrest in the UK, Offset for Apache signed

Tomasz Szmydt, who fled to Belarus, attacks Defence24

During a program broadcast on Belarus 1, Judge Tomasz Szmydt accused the Defence24.pl portal and criticized Poland’s actions in the context of the war in Ukraine. Szmydt spoke about the creation of the „Ukrainian Legion” in Poland and insinuated that it would not necessarily consist of Ukrainians, but rather mercenaries from Poland and the West. These absurd claims must be completely denied. Defence24.pl, along with all the editorial branches in the group, have been leaders for years in combating Russian disinformation and tirelessly reporting on military security, energy security, cybersecurity, and internal security. Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Defence24 portal has provided ongoing coverage, repeatedly supported fundraisers for civilians affected by the Russian aggressor’s actions, organized aid for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and raised funds for the purchase of 16 Polish Warmate combat drones. The complaints from Russian and Belarusian propaganda clearly show that we have done our job well, and this evidently bothers them now.

Tension: Israel, Lebanon, Iran. Attack on Polish Soldiers Base in Iraq.

There are ongoing concerns about the outbreak of a full-scale conflict in the Middle East. Polish citizens are already being informed about the risks and are advised against staying in Israel, Lebanon, and Iran. A plan for evacuation is also being developed in case it becomes necessary to assist Poles in the region. On a military level, on August 5, there was a rocket attack by Iran-linked militants on US and allied forces (including a Polish contingent) at the Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq. Two rockets exploded in the base. The strike on the airbase, which resulted in several soldiers being injured, is leading to increased tensions in the Middle East. It has been 10 months since the Hamas attack on Israel. During this time, tens of thousands of people (mostly civilians) have died, and the conflict, instead of moving towards a resolution, is escalating. A major issue is that the fighting is no longer confined to the Gaza Strip but is spreading to other territories, affecting more countries and groups, both directly and indirectly. The strategy of deterrence through escalation is proving to be very ineffective. Despite the situation seeming „distant” from Poland, we can already see more parties becoming involved, and the impact is global. All of this is happening amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Protests in the United Kingdom

Massive unrest continues across the British Isles, sparked by the murder of three girls by a 17-year-old of Rwandan origin. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has announced the deployment of additional police forces. While the protests are described as anti-Islamic in nature, they generally revolve around the issue of migration. Starmer has promised severe penalties for those inciting aggression both online and in the real world. Importantly, the government denies accusations of unequal treatment by the police towards far-right and left-wing protests. The situation in the United Kingdom highlights growing anti-immigrant sentiments across the European continent, with many people, including those in Poland, closely monitoring developments. Given the ongoing tensions on the Polish-Belarusian border and Russia’s efforts to destabilize the internal situation in European countries, Warsaw is paying close attention to the ongoing unrest in the United Kingdom and other allied nations. It is crucial for countries like the United Kingdom to maintain internal stability to ensure greater involvement on NATO’s eastern flank. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that Europe faces a significant challenge with illegal migration, controlling those arriving on the continent, and verifying their level of assimilation. These events represent another phase of the „clash of civilizations in Europe,” for which most countries are unprepared.

Offset for Apache signed, now an executive contract.

On August 5 in Warsaw, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence, Paweł Bejda, signed two offset agreements with Boeing and General Electric in connection with the purchase of AH-64E Apache helicopters.  Offset agreements open the way to signing an executive contract. According to media information, the contract will be signed before the Polish Army Day on August 15, 2020. The contract will cover 96 Apache helicopters. The subject of the first offset agreement, concluded between the State Treasury and the Boeing Company, is the implementation of 7 offset obligations with a total value of over PLN 400 million. Under the contract, competences will be acquired to: carry out inspections, repairs and overhauls of selected AH-64E components at WZL-1 in Łódź, training AH-64E technical maintenance staff at WAT and assessment of Aircraft Ground Support equipment manufactured by WCBKT S.A. in terms of their compatibility with AH-64E helicopters. The subject of the second offset agreement concluded between the State Treasury and General Electric Company is the implementation of 6 offset obligations with a total value of over PLN 530 million. As part of the implementation of this contract, competences will be acquired for technical service of T-700-701D, CT7-2E1 and CT7-8E turboshaft engines at WZL-1 Branch in Dęblin.

Polish pilots are switching to Swedish reconnaissance planes

A summary of the training of the first group of crews of Saab 340 AEW early warning aircraft deployed to the Polish Armed Forces took place at the 43rd Naval Aviation Base in Gdynia. During the event, the deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense presented the first crews with certificates of training completion. The Polish Ministry of National Defense ordered two Saab 340 AEW early warning aircraft in July 2023. Both machines arrived in Poland in the first half of 2024, which meant the beginning of the training process of the first group of crews. According to the Ministry of National Defense, in autumn this year the aircraft will achieve initial operational capability, thanks to which they will be ready to perform tasks as intended, ensuring the security of Polish and allied airspace

East Front News is a weekly newsletter and article on Defence24.com summarizing the past week’s most important events concerning security and the situation in the Central and Eastern Europe region. It includes original opinions and comments, along with key news items significant from a Polish perspective.

Jędrzej Graf, Ed. in Chief & Aleksander Olech, PhD