Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, shared more about his plan to make the country’s eastern border with Russia and Belarus stronger. He said they’re starting a project called Shield-East, which will cost $2.5 billion to build military defenses. Construction has already begun, as reported by ABC News.
In an address to troops in Krakow, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II, Tusk emphasized the importance of this initiative.
Border with Russia, Belarus
“We are opening a great project of the construction of a safe border, including a system of fortifications and the shaping of terrain, and environmental decisions that will make this border impenetrable by a potential enemy,” he said.
This effort builds upon a previous border security measure implemented three years ago, which saw the construction of a 180-kilometer long, 5.5-meter-high fence along the Belarusian border, supported by a system of cameras and sensors.
That project was primarily aimed at countering the threat of a sudden influx of migrants. The new Shield-East project, however, addresses the risk of a full military incursion, marking a remarkable escalation in Poland’s border security measures.
