Polish forces have detained hundreds more migrants and refugees on the Belarus border and sent another 3,000 soldiers to the area as the crisis there intensifies. At least seven people have died in recent days, as some 4,000 migrants and refugees face freezing temperatures and lack access to food and medical attention. Most of the refugees are from the Middle East, Afghanistan and African countries. European leaders threatened to increase sanctions on Belarus over the violent crackdown. This is a Syrian migrant describing an attack by a Belarusian soldier.

Youssef Atallah: “He kicked me in the face with his foot, so I passed out for about a couple minutes; broke my nose and broke a bone in here. And my eyes are swelled like that.”

Polish officials have accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of weaponizing the refugee crisis in retaliation for European Union sanctions against Belarus.