Poland has displayed its military strength and readiness in a massive parade in Warsaw, the largest of its kind since the end of the Cold War era. The event, held on Tuesday, August 15, marked the anniversary of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, in which Polish forces defeated the invading Soviet army.
The parade featured around 2,000 soldiers from Poland and other NATO allies, as well as 200 units of modern defense equipment and 92 aircraft. Some of the weapons systems on display included US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks, South Korean K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers, HIMARS rocket launchers, Patriot air defense systems and Polish-made Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles.
The show of force came amid rising tensions on Poland’s eastern border with Belarus, where thousands of migrants have been trying to cross into the European Union. Poland has accused Belarus of orchestrating a “hybrid war” against the bloc, with the support of Russia. Poland has deployed 10,000 troops to the border and built a barbed wire fence to prevent illegal crossings.