Poland to build Eastern Shield on border with Ukraine
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (photo: Getty Images)
Poland will build fortifications as part of the Eastern Shield project not only on the border with Russia but also on the border with Belarus and Ukraine. This is necessary to make the entire length of the eastern border safer, states Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
According to the media outlet, on Saturday, the Polish prime minister visited the first completed section of the fortification system being built along the border with Russia and Belarus.
During a briefing near the village of Dąbrówka (Warmian-Masurian region), Tusk emphasized that the better the Polish border is protected, the less accessible it is to those with bad intentions. In particular, thanks to the investments, the Warmia-Masuria, Podlaskie, Lubelskie, and Podkarpackie voivodeships (Polish regions - ed.) will become safer.
“Everything we are doing here, and we will do it on the border with Belarus and Ukraine, is aimed at deterring and confusing a possible aggressor, so this is really an investment in peace. We will spend billions of zlotys on this, but now the whole of Europe is watching with great pleasure and will support these investments and our activities if necessary,” Tusk said.
The head of the Polish government also assured that the countries of the Baltic region will cooperate with Poland to make this infrastructure effective not only in Polish sections but also along the entire border. First of all, with Russia and Belarus.
“Our activities will also concern the security of the border with Ukraine - for other reasons, but we want Poles to feel safer along the entire length of the eastern border,” Tusk added.
What is known about the Eastern Shield
“Eastern Shield” or “Shield of the East” is a program prepared by the Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff of Poland. The project envisages the construction of various types of fortifications, relief barriers, and military infrastructure on the borders of the Polish state with Russia and Belarus. The total distance along the border is about 800 km.
In addition, it is planned to build appropriate intelligence and threat detection systems, advanced bases, logistics hubs, and warehouses, and deploy anti-drone systems.
The start of construction of fortification lines on the border with Russia was announced on November 1. The project is expected to be completed by 2028.
