Polish Soldier Acquitted After Firing Shots Toward Migrants Illegally Crossing Border

The judge ruled that every soldier had a constitutional and statutory obligation to defend their homeland’s borders; prosecutors say they will appeal.

A Polish border guard officer stands at the Polish-Belarusian border in front of the border fence in Polowce-Pieszczatka, Poland, on July 21, 2025. Photo by Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images

A Polish soldier who fired in the direction of migrants who had illegally crossed the border from Belarus has been found not guilty of abusing his powers and threatening the lives of others.

The judge in the case ruled that the 25-year-old soldier had been fulfilling his obligation to defend the border and said there was no evidence he had committed a crime.