Polish authorities held a press conference on Monday at the headquarters of the General Staff of the Polish Army, revealing details of a multi-year plan aimed at fortifying the Polish border with Belarus and Russia called “Shield East,” The program involves strengthening detection, improving warning and tracking systems, preparing forward operational bases, preparing logistics hubs and creating appropriate infrastructure for anti-drone systems. The program’s implementation comes as Poland encounters a migrant crisis on its Eastern border, which officials have accused Russia and Belarus of orchestrating.

The Shield East program is part of the creation of a comprehensive, regional defense infrastructure built in cooperation with the Baltic states to counteract threats on NATO’s eastern flank. Poland says that primary aim of the defense program is to hinder the movement of enemy troops, facilitate the movement of Polish troops, and ensure the utmost security of the Polish armed forces.

According to the head of Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz:

This is a long-term plan for 2024-2028. We will cooperate with our partners and allies within NATO and the European Union, especially with the Baltic states, drawing on various types of experience and models. We will present this project at the European and NATO level as one of the umost importance, changing the face of security in the region.

Since 2021, thousands of migrants and refugees, mainly from the Middle East, have crossed or attempted to cross the border between Belarus and Poland. Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has blamed Belarus and Russia for causing the influx of migrants. As Poland supports neighboring Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s aggression, Tusk claims this is part of a hybrid attack aimed at destabilizing the region and the European Union. He says more than 90 percent of those who cross the Polish border illegally have Russian visas.

Poland has about 700 km of border to secure, including 400 km with Belarus. According to Polish Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk, the Shield East plan will begin immediately and is set to end in 2028. The estimated cost is PLN 10 billion (around 2.5 billion USD), and the Polish government will also receive funding from the European Union.