WARSAW

Poland has already secured 60 kilometers (37.5 miles) of its eastern border and plans to more than triple that figure this year, as Warsaw accelerates a vast military engineering program designed to harden the frontier with Belarus and Russia amid continuing regional tensions, officials said Tuesday.

Col. Marek Pietrzak of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces told reporters in Warsaw that the East Shield program will expand rapidly in 2026, with engineering works expected to secure more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) of the border by year’s end, nearly 38% of the total length.

“Last year, engineering work was carried out to secure a total of 60 kilometers of the border,” said Pietrzak, adding that efforts included linear fortifications, border-blocking infrastructure, and preparations to seal key road and rail crossings. Five crossings were fully blocked in 2025, with a further 12 prepared for rapid closure.

This year’s expansion will include approximately 30 kilometers of new permanent linear defenses, while an additional 180 kilometers will be secured using rapidly deployable engineering equipment stored in material depots for emergency border closure. By the end of 2025, nearly 260 kilometers of the frontier are expected to be protected.

The program also involves extensive land acquisition. Polish authorities secured 38 properties in 2025, with plans to acquire 150 additional plots in 52 locations this year, largely within 15 kilometers of the border. Further land purchases from state agricultural holdings are planned in 2026 to support expanded logistics and storage facilities.

Alongside physical barriers, Poland is investing heavily in modern surveillance and strike capabilities, including anti-aircraft and counter-drone systems, unmanned aerial platforms, mine-laying vehicles and reconnaissance assets. Procurement is being managed by the Armaments Agency, with systems such as FlyEye drones, GLADIUS unmanned strike platforms, and BAOBAB mine-laying vehicles already under contract.

Pietrzak said the program has attracted significant interest from allied states, with close coordination underway with the Baltic countries and Finland as part of the wider Baltic Defense Line project. Cooperation is also being developed with the United Kingdom, Germany, and the US, with allied forces expected to participate directly in infrastructure expansion from mid-2026.

Poland spent more than 870 million zlotys ($247 million) on the East Shield program last year, excluding EU funding. Additional resources will support the East Green Shield, which integrates natural terrain into defensive planning.

The border fortification drive is backed by substantial European financing. On Jan. 26, the European Commission approved Poland’s rearmament plan under the SAFE fund, making Warsaw the largest beneficiary. Poland is set to receive nearly €44 billion ($44 billion) from the €150 billion facility to finance more than 130 defense projects, including border security, drones, air defense, ammunition production, artillery systems and cybersecurity upgrades.