Image Credentials: Image Title: Russia and Belarus Accused of Using “Hamas-Style” Tunnels for Hybrid War Source: (sora.openai) Date: Feb 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
WARSAW — Polish border authorities have uncovered a sophisticated new front in the ongoing “hybrid war” at the European Union’s edge: a network of reinforced subterranean tunnels designed to funnel illegal migrants from Belarus into Poland.
Professional Engineering at the Border
According to reports confirmed by the Polish Ministry of Interior, at least four distinct tunnels were identified throughout 2025. Unlike the crude, temporary passages often found at international borders, these structures feature advanced engineering. Polish officials describe them as “reinforced,” standing approximately 1.5 meters high and supported by concrete structures, a design reminiscent of the tunnel networks used by Middle Eastern militant groups such as Hamas.
In one significant operation in December 2025, authorities discovered a tunnel extending 50 meters into Belarusian territory and emerging 10 meters past the border fence inside Poland. During the raid, 130 migrants, primarily from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, were detained while attempting to use the passage.
A Tactic of Distabilization
The use of specialized tunneling is being viewed by European security experts as an escalation of the strategy employed by the Kremlin and the Lukashenko regime since 2021. By weaponizing migration, Russia and Belarus aim to pressure European welfare systems and create internal political friction within the EU.
“The decision to involve specialists from the Middle East was likely a reaction to the high effectiveness of Poland’s surface-level barriers,” stated Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Mroczek. Military historians and strategists have noted that the expertise for such deep-tunneling projects is rooted in the Middle East, suggesting that Belarusian security services may be collaborating with foreign technical experts to ensure the tunnels remain durable under the border’s heavy soil.
Advanced Surveillance Response
Despite the underground shift, Polish Border Guard Lieutenant Colonel Katarzyna Zdanowicz emphasized that the border’s “electronic shield”, a suite of thermal imaging cameras and seismic detection systems, allows for immediate reactions to violations.
“We can react even to underground attempts,” Zdanowicz stated, though officials warned that as soon as one route is blocked, the regime in Minsk works quickly to establish another.
Broader Network
The controversy comes as Bulgarian officials also reported evidence of links between Russia’s foreign intelligence agencies and criminal smuggling rings. These groups are reportedly facilitating the flow of migrants through the Western Balkans and into the Schengen area, further cementing allegations that Moscow is orchestrating a coordinated campaign to destabilize the continent.