Poland advances 'East Shield' program

WARSAW - Intensive work is progressing on Poland's "East Shield" defense program, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces said Monday.

It said two depots have been completed, and 12 more are under construction, with all expected to be finished by year's end.

In total, more than 100 depots will be built along Poland's eastern and northern borders to store fortifications, trench materials, barbed wire, and other engineering supplies. Each depot will contain enough materials to fortify a five-km border section. So far, 108 procurement contracts worth 300 million zlotys (about $81 million) have been signed.

The "East Shield" also includes larger engineering depots up to 50 km from the border and logistics warehouses located 50 to 100 km away.

Announced in spring 2024, the program, covering fortifications, barriers, and multi-level airspace monitoring systems, is expected to be completed by 2028 at an estimated cost of 10 billion zlotys.?