Poland is preparing the ground on its border with Russia for the laying of anti-tank mines and could have the frontier protected within 48 hours in a crisis, a deputy defense minister has said.
The government is gearing up production of anti-tank ordnance and making preparations for a mining operation as it boosts its defenses against a possible invasion amid fears of an aggressive Russia.
Poland is preparing to leave the Ottawa Convention banning landmines in February.
Deputy defense minister Cezary Tomczyk told private broadcaster Radio Zet on Friday the preparations are taking place as part of Poland’s East Shield plan, aimed at shoring up defensive infrastructure on the borders with Russia and Belarus.
High-speed mining
In addition to physical groundwork at the frontier, production is also being ramped up with the country’s only anti-tank mine producer, the BELMA plant in Bydgoszcz, northern Poland, increasing its output 25-fold to 1.2 million units a year.
Tomczyk touted the Polish-made Baobab high-speed automated mine-laying system, equipped with a truck-mounted platform that can secure territory in minutes rather than days.
“We’re in a position to mine any border within 48 hours,” he said.
A survey by the Radio Zet website revealed that 68% of respondents believed Poland’s border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad should be mined.