MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. Poland has closed all border crossings with Belarus that had remained operational until now, effective at midnight local time [10 pm on Septemeber 11, GMT], the Polish Interior Minister, Marcin Kierwinski, announced at the Terespol border checkpoint, which had been the only passenger crossing still functioning.

"At midnight, we closed traffic on the border with Belarus. This is related to the Zapad-2025 military exercises," the minister stated during a press conference broadcast by the TVP Info television channel. "Traffic will resume, but only when we are confident that the safety of Poles is guaranteed. From an economic perspective, we will strive to reopen the border as soon as possible," he added.

On September 9, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the border with Belarus would be closed overnight on September 12 due to the start of joint Russian-Belarusian drills dubbed Zapad-2025. The next day, Kierwinski signed the relevant order, which says that the measure applies both to individuals and vehicles, including trucks and freight trains, traveling to and from the country, and will remain in effect "until further notice." The Belarusian Foreign Ministry condemned Warsaw’s decision as groundless and directed against common people.