Germany to help Poland build anti-tank defenses near Russian border
Photo: Germany will help Poland build anti-tank barriers near the border with Russia (Getty Images)
From spring 2026, German servicemen will join Poland's Eastern Shield operation and begin building defensive structures along the border with Russia's Kaliningrad region and Belarus, according to Bild.
According to Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski, Bundeswehr soldiers will primarily be responsible for "creating positions, digging trenches, installing barbed wire, and erecting anti-tank obstacles."
The deployment will begin in the second quarter of 2026 and is planned to continue through the end of 2027. No separate mandate from the Bundestag will be required.
The Ministry of Defense clarified that this is not considered a combat overseas deployment and "does not involve any direct threat to troops from military clashes."
Germany is already contributing to Poland's defense. Since November 2024, Patriot missile systems have been stationed near Rzeszów, and from December 2025, a German air unit will begin patrols at Malbork, just 60 kilometers from Kaliningrad.
Earlier reports noted that Estonia has begun constructing the first concrete bunkers along its southeastern border with Russia as part of the Baltic defense line.
