Poland is preparing to lay up to one million anti-personnel mines along its eastern border as part of its newly announced East Shield defense initiative, according to Paweł Bejda, secretary of state at the Ministry of National Defense.
The decision comes as Poland, alongside Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, withdraws from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, production, and transfer of such mines.
“We have no choice. The situation at the border is very serious. Mines will be one of the elements of the East Shield,” Bejda stated in an interview with RMF FM, highlighting Poland’s increasing focus on fortifying its defenses against potential threats from Russia and Belarus.
Poland, along with its Baltic allies, recently announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, citing the need for stronger border security.
“We do not have anti-personnel mines. They have to be produced — we have such capabilities. We want these mines to be manufactured in Poland,” Bejda said, revealing that the state-owned PGZ Group will oversee their production. He estimated that Poland may need between several hundred thousand and one million mines, with the withdrawal process from the Ottawa Treaty potentially taking up to nine months.
The defense ministries of the four NATO member states issued a joint statement on Tuesday justifying their decision: “We believe that in the current security environment, it is paramount to provide our defense forces flexibility and freedom of choice to potentially use new weapons systems and solutions to bolster the defense of the Alliance’s vulnerable Eastern Flank.”
During the interview, Bejda also commented on the recent conversation between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing that Europe must be included in such diplomatic discussions.
“We are working together in Europe. I think that Europe has woken up and realized that Ukraine is on our continent. European leaders strive to be equal partners and to sit at the negotiating table. It cannot be that only President Trump talks to Putin — without the presence of Europe,” Bejda stated.
Poland is also working on expanding its military hardware, including a planned contract for additional K2 tanks. Bejda emphasized that negotiations are ongoing to ensure the transfer of technology to Poland and to allow for the modernization of the machines within the PGZ Group. The deal includes 180 tanks already contracted with an additional 180 to come.
Bejda also highlighted plans to integrate drones into every branch of the military. To accelerate production, the military is exploring the use of 3D printing technology, while specialized training programs for drone operators are also being developed.
He revealed that a dedicated team for the “dronization” of the Polish Army officially began its work on March 18.
