Aleksander Lukashenko

Migrants massed on the Belarusian side of the border with Poland: Image: Polish Ministry of Defence

The Polish government called an extraordinary meeting of the crisis management team for 1pm Central Europe Time (CET). At the time of publishing, the standoff on the ground appears to be stable, with no major incidents as yet.

Former first ladies, Jolanta Kwaśniewska and Anna Komorowska, spoke during the protest in Michałowo, eastern Poland, on October 23, 2021. Photo: Attila Husejnow A woman standing next to an armed border guard, holds a placard that reads "This time a Polish extermination camp" during the protest in Michałowo, eastern Poland, on October 23, 2021. Photo: Attila Husejnow

Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko has denied reports that his country might host a Russian military base.

Setting up an Air Force base in Belarus was never an issue between Lukashenko and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, BELTA agency quotes him as saying.