Poland accelerates efforts to defend borders with Russia and Belarus

The Polish government is accelerating efforts to strengthen the defence of Poland’s eastern borders with Russia and Belarus. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday that construction of the so-called “East Shield’ project will begin by the end of this year, not next year, as planned.

The project will include the construction of military fortifications and other defence measures, physical barriers, state-of-the-art airspace monitoring systems, and electronic equipment and systems.

The first exercises in testing elements for the construction of the East Shield began at the military training ground in Orzysz, in north-eastern Poland. The fortifications are to appear over a length of approximately 800 kilometres, wherever they are needed. Their construction is expected to last four years.

Among the exercises were scenarios like crossing the Polish border by enemy forces, attempting to overcome an anti-tank ditch and concrete hedgehog barrier by enemy soldiers, establishing fire contact, and an attempt to bypass the barrier.

Tusk was on site to observe the exercises, along with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Poland is joined by several other NATO members in launching initiatives to strengthen borders with Russia. The Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia recently began constructing the so-called “Baltic Defence Line” and Tusk also noted that Finland is involved in the project.

“This is a joint venture, not only Polish, it is also combined with the efforts of the Baltic states when it comes to the Baltic Defence Line,” he said, and mentioned that co-financing will be discussed in Brussels in the near future.

He also wrote in a post on X that it is “our right and our duty is to protect the Polish and European border, adding that “its security will not be subject to negotiation.”

“I am glad that it has already become a fact that the British are also cooperating with us on the East Shield, and the Americans are ready,” Tusk added.

“There will be European funds for all this, not only national ones. I will talk about it in Brussels in the coming days and weeks,” he announced.