German and Polish soldiers work together to secure Poland's eastern border near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. What the Bundeswehr deployment means for NATO deterrence.
Bundeswehr in Poland: German soldiers help to fortify the border fortifications. Photo: Bundeswehr
Warsaw. The anti-tank barriers lie in three rows on the muddy, furrowed field. There is only one gap left. A backhoe loader lifts one of the multi-ton concrete elements from a military truck. German and Polish soldiers work together and make sure that the “tank hedgehog” is lined up perfectly.
Two hundred meters from here, barbed wire and tall birch trees mark Poland's border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. It is also NATO's eastern border. It should be fortified - and Bundeswehr soldiers are helping. Major General Tilo Maedler raises his chin towards Russia. "If they see us - then they will immediately know who they are dealing with. This also serves as a deterrent."
Since July, around 40 soldiers from a reinforced machine engineer platoon have been deployed in northeastern Poland. Together with the Polish army, they dug an anti-tank ditch and set up anti-tank barriers. The deployment is planned until the end of October.
Poland is investing billions in the “Eastern Protective Shield”
According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Poland is “safer than ever” on its eastern border. The EU and NATO member Poland is one of the most important supporters of Ukraine, which is attacked by Russia, and also sees itself threatened by Moscow. It is therefore investing billions in the so-called “Protective Shield East”, a fortified defense line on parts of its eastern border.
By the end of this year, the Polish Ministry of Defense wants to secure around 250 kilometers of the eastern and northern border. Concrete fortifications, electronic monitoring systems and storage facilities for engineer equipment are planned. The European Union is helping to finance the project through its “SAFE” defense program.
Anti-tank barriers as a deterrent, mines for emergencies
“The effort it would take for a potential enemy to get through here would be enormous,” explains Major Martin, who, according to Bundeswehr regulations, can only be referred to by his first name. The pioneers dug a deep ditch just behind the border fence. “It’s there to ensure that a tank drives in and doesn’t come out again.” Should this succeed, there will be two rows of three “tank hedgehogs” to overcome.
The space between the barriers, which is around a hundred meters wide, has a purpose. “In the event of an imminent attack, we can lay mines here,” explains General Stanislaw Czosnek from the Polish army.
In February 2026, Poland withdrew from the international treaty banning landmines, which Russia and the USA never signed. Poland ratified the Ottawa Convention in 2012 and destroyed its mining reserves. After the start of Russia's war of invasion against Ukraine, it announced its withdrawal last year - together with Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. According to Prime Minister Tusk, it will soon be able to mine its border with Kaliningrad within 48 hours.
The neighbors: “Moscow’s unsinkable aircraft carrier” and Belarus
In the four-plus years of Moscow's war of aggression against Ukraine, the sense of threat in Poland has increased. The country shares a 232-kilometer-long border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. This highly armed area is surrounded by NATO members Poland and Lithuania and is considered “Moscow’s unsinkable aircraft carrier”. Nuclear-capable short-range missiles of the Iskander type are stationed here. Poland also has a 418-kilometer-long border with authoritarian Belarus, an ally of Moscow.
The unease is not just part of the Polish perception: recently there were US media reports of new intelligence information that Russian President Vladimir Putin may try to test NATO's resolve with a limited attack on an alliance country within the next few years. Possible scenarios range from a cyberattack to a small-scale intrusion into a NATO country by soldiers in unmarked uniforms. Poland and the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are considered the most likely targets of such a possible attack.
How is the Bundeswehr deployment in Poland being received?
"The cooperation with the Polish soldiers works great. We are all pioneers and have a common technical understanding," says Major Martin. The operation also has a supranational significance: “We are here to defend alliance territory.”
For the Polish major Karol Frankowski, the solidarity aspect is in the foreground. “It’s simply good for the morale of the Polish soldiers when they see that our army is not alone in protecting NATO’s eastern border.” The anti-German sentiments widespread in many parts of Polish society played no role for the soldiers. "We see the common potential enemy. And that is Russia."
