Polish troops have begun installing concrete anti-tank barriers along the country’s border with Russia, Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said. The fortifications are expected to cover more than 200 kilometers of the frontier.

Work is focused primarily on sections that the Polish military considers the most vulnerable and important for a potential defensive operation.

According to Tomczyk, the planned measures are intended to secure more than 200 kilometers of Poland’s border in areas regarded as strategically significant for defense.

The barriers are being installed as part of the Eastern Shield program, launched in 2024. Around €10 billion has been allocated to the project, which is designed to strengthen Poland’s borders as well as NATO’s eastern frontier with Russia and Belarus.

Tomczyk also said the Polish military has the technical capability to mine sections of the country’s northern and eastern borders within 48 hours.

Earlier, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Warsaw was prepared to completely close border crossings with Russia and Belarus if necessary.