Poland’s deputy defense minister confirms border mining preparations but says mining would only occur in case of war threat.
Cezary Tomczyk on Mining the Border
Poland will prepare locations for mining the border, but the actual mining will only occur when a crisis arises, said Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk on Friday on Radio ZET. To put it bluntly, the “Eastern Shield” project involves on one hand the construction of engineering barriers, and on the other hand preparing locations for mining and producing these mines, but actual mining would only happen in case of a real threat of war.
“Mining Within 48 Hours”
Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk explained that mines may seem like a 20th-century technology, but they remain one of the most effective deterrent elements used in modern conflicts. He noted that Bydgoskie Zakłady Elektromechaniczne Belma, a state-owned company in Bydgoszcz, will increase production of anti-tank mines 25-fold. “We are able to mine any border, eastern or northern, within actually 48 hours, we are talking about anti-tank mines,” Tomczyk added.
The Deputy Defense Minister emphasized that “no one intends to lay mines in peacetime, unless in a situation of direct threat of war.” He said, “I hope that such a threat never arises.”
