Poland is strengthening its borders as it attempts to ward off threats amid heightened tensions from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Authorities in Warsaw say they have added minefields to the “East Shield” project, the name given to the protective barrier whose construction began in November last year. Work on the project now takes place year-round, seven days a week.
The barrier spans over 20 kilometres along the Polish border adjacent to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad extending to the Baltic Sea.
According to Karol Frankowski, a press officer for the Polish army, the new corridor is a show of force.
“We are protecting our border. We saw what happened to Ukraine during the Ukrainian war. So we need to be prepared for a potential attack,” she explains.
Marek Świerczyński, Head of Security and International Affairs Desk at Polityka Insight, lauded progress on the project.
“It looks like there is a new division in Eurasia forming before our eyes,” added Marek Świerczyński.
Poland, one of the NATO countries that has significantly enhanced its military capabilities, shares borders with Russia – specifically the Kaliningrad Oblast – to the north and Belarus to the east.
A narrow land corridor between these nations leads to Lithuania and the Baltic states, often considered NATO’s most vulnerable area in potential conflict scenarios.
According to Polish Secretary of State Cezary Tomczyk, the East Shield project and the one along the Belarusian border will be finished within three years. The project has received billions in funding, including EU contributions.
In March, Poland’s defence ministry announced that the European Investment Bank had agreed in principle to spend €1 billion on the project.
The project is also expected to include a network of anti-tank barriers, fortified shelters, and bunkers.