Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced on Wednesday that the US Congress has approved the sale of 96 Apache attack helicopters and related weaponry to Poland.

"Congress has approved the sale of 96 Apache helicopters with radars and related equipment to Poland! We are now beginning price negotiations. Until the procedures are completed and the helicopters are delivered to Poland, the US Army will provide Apache helicopters from its reserves," Blaszczak said on X, formerly known as Twitter.  

On August 21, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said it approved the potential sale of AH-64E Apache Helicopters to Poland.

According to the agency, the deal amounts to $12 billion, including the sale of the Apache along with related equipment. 

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Poland of AH-64E Apache Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $12.0 billion," DSCA said in a statement.

Read more: No changes in US forces deployed in Poland: Pentagon to Al Mayadeen

Tensions mounting at the border 

Since the conflict began in Ukraine in February 2022, tensions in the Polish border with Belarus have increased considerably. 

Poland has frequently blamed Russia and Belarus for orchestrating a migration crisis, claiming that the two countries intentionally did so to destabilize Poland and the entire EU bloc.

It is often argued that the country upholds an openly racist stance with regard to migration -- particularly in light of policies undermining African and Arab migrants at the expense of Ukrainian refugees. 

Yet, the country itself willingly closed down its largest refugee center for Ukrainians in Poland earlier this month, with several hundred Ukrainians said to have been transferred to "other facilities" without providing further explanation. 

This came after Poland and Ukraine authorities had some highly intense exchanges over grain imports. It got to the point that the disagreement caused a diplomatic controversy between the neighbors.

Poland trespassing Belarus airspace

On September 1st, tensions escalated when the Belarusian border service claimed that a Polish military helicopter had violated the state border.

"On September 1, Belarusian border guards recorded a violation of the Belarusian airspace by Poland in the Berastavitsa district of the Grodno Region. A Polish Mi-24 military helicopter crossed the state border at an extremely low altitude, entered a total of 1200 meters [3,900 feet] into the territory of Belarus, and then turned back," the Belarusian border service said on Telegram.  

After the incident occurred, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry summoned the Polish charge d'affaires to discuss the incident.

"In connection with the recorded fact of the violation of the state border of the Republic of Belarus by a helicopter of the Polish armed forces, on September 1, 2023, the Charge d'affaires of Poland in Belarus Wojciech Filimonowicz was summoned to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry," the statement said.  

Read more: Polish ruling party lures supporters via anti-German, anti-EU rhetoric