Poland buys 1,000 new armoured personnel carriers for its army

The Polish army is getting more than 1,000 new infantry fighting vehicles of the type Borsuk (Badger) and hundreds of escort vehicles.
Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak signed the agreement for the vehicles on Tuesday at the manufacturing company Huta Stalowa Wola in south-eastern Poland, the PAP news agency reported.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had earlier announced the order on Twitter, saying: "We guarantee security for Poles."
Błaszczak told the TV news channel TVP Info that the order was the largest project ever undertaken by the Polish defence industry.
According to the agreement, the first four Borsuk tanks are to be delivered to the Polish army as early as 2023. He hoped that the other deliveries would also be made quickly, Błaszczak said, without giving an exact date.
The new Polish-made tanks are to replace the Soviet BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles previously used by the army. One of their advantages is that they can operate on water.
In addition to the more than 1,000 tanks, the order includes, according to PAP and TVP Info, about 400 additional vehicles, which serve, for example, reconnaissance, coordination and various protective functions.
The order is part of a massive upgrade and modernization of the Polish army, which Błaszczak said was proceeding "at a very fast pace."
NATO member Poland borders directly on Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia.