The Czech foreign ministry told CNN that Polish soldiers accidentally crossed the country’s border with the Czech Republic in late May.
Snafu prompted the Czech embassy in Warsaw to “take immediate action” and inform his counterpart in Poland.
“Our Polish colleagues have unofficially assured us that this incident is a misunderstanding that the Polish army has no hostile intentions,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson told CNN.
“Polish soldiers are no longer available and our citizens can visit the site freely again,” the spokesman said.
When they asked how long the Polish troops stayed in the country, “We are still waiting for the official Polish expression.”
The Polish Ministry of Defense also accepted the short invasion on Friday.
“The placement of the border post was not a deliberate act, but a result of misunderstanding. It was corrected immediately and the case was resolved by the Czech side,” he told CNN.
The incident occurred near southern Poland, Pielgrzymow, a small border village opposite a sparsely populated part of the Czech countryside. A quiet road here serves as the border point between the two countries.
“The Polish Army soldiers are supporting border guards in protecting the state border after being closed due to a coronavirus pandemic,” the Polish Defense Ministry said. “The operation is managed by the Armed Forces Operation Command, which is in direct contact with the Border Guards.”
The Polish government has not confirmed how long its troops are in the Czech Republic.
The borders between European Union countries are barely visible as citizens enjoy freedom of movement across the bloc.
Poland has been involved in several serious border disputes with former Czechoslovakia during the 20th century. The two countries fought in a seven-day war in the Silesian region in 1919, and Poland annexed a region around the city of Bohumin in 1938.
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