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Three border tensions on the eve of 17 November 2021
Summary
A look back at reports from 16 November 2021 on Russian troop concerns, Poland's frontier with Belarus and fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
What was the picture across Ukraine's wider neighbourhood on 17 November 2021? Reports from the previous day, 16 November, pointed to pressure along several frontiers.
On 16 November, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the west would have to choose between relying on Russian gas and supporting Ukraine. He spoke amid reported buildups of Russian military forces near Ukraine's border.
Poland's frontier with Belarus
The same day, migrants at a temporarily closed checkpoint in Kuźnica, Poland, threw stones at Polish border guards. They were also trying to destroy the border fence to break through the Belarus–Poland border. The guards responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse them. Poland's ministry accused the Belarusian military of aiding the attacks along Poland's borders.
Fighting in the South Caucasus
Further east, border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan killed fifteen Armenian soldiers on 16 November, and Azerbaijani forces captured twelve more. The two sides traded recriminations. A Russian-brokered ceasefire was agreed at 19:00 local time.
Taken together, the reports from 16 November described a region where military pressure, border confrontations and energy politics were all in view as 17 November began.
