Poland has no plans to lay mines along the border with Russia; such actions can only be carried out in the event of a imminent threat of an armed conflict, Polish Deputy Minister of Defense Cezary Tomczyk affirmed in an interview on Zet radio.
Poland is preparing areas for landmine deployment at the border, but actual landmine deployment can only occur in case there is an immediate threat of war" - Mr. Tomczyk answered the interviewer's question about whether Poland should deploy mines at the border with Russia. Poland shares a common border with Russia's overseas Kaliningrad region.
Polish defense officials said that this approach is part of the "East Shield" program to build a defensive fortification along the eastern border of Poland.
The "East Shield" program, announced by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in May 2024, is expected to build a defense line on the border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine in 2028. This program includes digging trenches, laying mines, installing anti-tank equipment, as well as creating an active monitoring system.
Deputy Minister Tomczyk also emphasized that, according to him, mine-laying is still "one of the most effective deterrents". He also praised the Baobab high-speed automatic mine-laying system manufactured by Poland, equipped with platforms on trucks that can protect territory in just a few minutes instead of a few days. "We can mine any border within 48 hours," he said.
He also said that Warsaw will increase the production of anti-tank mines at the BELMA factory in Bydgoszcz, Poland's only anti-tank mine manufacturer, by 25 times, or 1.2 million units per year.
On February 20, Poland officially withdrew from the Ottawa Convention (Convention on the Prohibition of Mines against Infantry), banning the production, use and stockpiling of anti-infantry mines. Warsaw intended to resume mine production after this time.
This decision was made after Poland's March 2025 announcement, along with the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Finland, about withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention.
The Ottawa Convention has been in effect since 1999, ratified by 164 countries. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, anti-infantry mines cause significant casualties to civilians and remain a persistent threat long after the conflict ends.
Also in an interview on January 16, Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk said that Poland will complete the construction of a drone defense system on the eastern border within 2 years.
The San and unmanned aerial vehicle shield project of Poland within the framework of the "East Shield" will achieve initial operational capability within 6 months. The entire system will take 24 months to complete," he said.
According to him, Warsaw will present the San unmanned fighter shield project in the coming weeks. Mr. Tomczyk called this the largest and most advanced program in Europe.
