Poland Begins To Build A Large Defence Line On Belarusian Border

• 5.10.2024, 13:03

The East Shield will cover five voivodeships.

Poland will begin construction of the first elements of the East Shield defence program on the borders with Belarus and Russia at the end of the year. This was announced by Deputy Minister of National Defence of Poland Cezary Tomczyk during a press conference on October 4.

He recalled that the East Shield system will cover the Pomeranian, Warmian-Masurian, Lublin, Podlasie and Podkarpackie Voivodeships.

"The cost of this program will be about 10 billion zlotys, and, as we have already informed you earlier as a result of our analysis, we will be able to start construction next year. I would like to publicly inform you that in the next 3 weeks we will be able to conduct the first tests of the elements of the East Shield at the Polish military training grounds, and at the end of this year we will begin the construction of the first elements of the East Shield on the northern and eastern borders of Poland," he informed.

The representative of the department noted that Poland managed to attract partners to the construction.

"Thanks to the government, thanks to Prime Minister Tusk, the issue of security was included in the conclusions of the European Council, the issue of the participation of British troops and our partners — Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. These are the partners who will build this project with us, as well as US troops. We want to complete this project in 2028. It includes, of course, the construction of fortifications, but also natural obstacles on the ground. We want the eastern and northern borders of Poland to be not only the best fortified border in Europe, but also the most modern border in Europe,” he said.