To Counter Russian Threat, Poland Plans Mega Anti-Drone Fortifications Along Eastern Border

After a massive incursion of unmanned Russian aerial combat vehicles into Poland’s territory, Warsaw has announced its plans for a new set of anti-drone fortifications worth €2 billion (Rs22,000 crore)

along its eastern borders within two years.

In an interview with The Guardian, Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said: ““We expect to have the first capabilities of the system in roughly six months, perhaps even sooner. And the full system will take 24 months to complete.”

He further said the new defence systems would be integrated into the older line of protection that was constructed a decade ago. He said the new systems would involve different layers of defence, including machine guns, cannon, missiles and drone-jamming systems.

“Some of this is for use only in extreme or war conditions. For example, these multi-barrel machine guns are difficult to use in peacetime, because everything that goes up must go down,” he said.

This comes months after over a dozen suspected Russian drones entered Polish airspace in September. This caused airport closures, fighter jets being scrambled, and damage to buildings on the ground as drones were shot down.

At the time, foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told The Guardian that the attacks, which involved drones not carrying any ammunition, were an attempt by Russia “to test us without starting a war”.

According to the media outlet, Poland since then has updated plans already in the works to reinforce its eastern borders.

Speaking on the current plan, Deputy Defence Minister said the project would cost more than €2 billion and it would be mostly financed with European funds under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defence loan programme, as well as some contributions for the state budget.

The country also plans to train hundreds of thousands of citizens in survival skills while others are taking voluntary military training.

In addition to the anti-drone wall, Poland is also conducting fortifications along its land borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, known as the Eastern Shield and aimed at preventing a future Russian invasion, The Guardian reported.

Tomczyk said special logistics hubs would be built in all border municipality wherein equipment to help block the border would be stored, ready to be deployed in a matter of hours.

“The truth is that as long as Ukraine is defending itself and fighting Russia, Europe is not at risk of war in the conventional, strict sense of the word. What we will face instead are provocations and acts of sabotage,” he added.