Poland has begun deploying more than 1,000 troops in the country’s east, the country’s defense minister said on Saturday, amid growing concern from the NATO member that the presence of the Wagner Group militants in Belarus could lead to heightened tensions on its border, Reuters reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to allow mercenaries from the Wagner Group, founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, to cross into Belarus has raised fears among NATO members in the east that their presence will cause further instability in the region.

“Over 1,000 soldiers and almost 200 pieces of equipment from the 12th and 17th mechanized brigades are starting to move to the east of the country,” wrote Mariusz Blaszczak on Twitter.

“This is a demonstration of our readiness to respond to destabilization attempts near the border of our country.”

Last Sunday, Poland said it would send 500 police officers to beef up security on its border with Belarus.

In recent weeks, the number of migrants trying to cross the border with Belarus has increased in Poland. According to border police, more than 200 people tried to cross the border illegally on Friday, including citizens of Morocco, India and Ethiopia.

Poland has accused Belarus of artificially creating a migrant crisis at the border since 2021 by bringing in people from the Middle East and Africa and trying to push them across the border.

On Saturday, the commander of the “Wagnera” PMK announced that the group’s mercenaries were preparing to move to Belarus.