Bundeswehr military engineers and Polish sappers have begun building defensive fortifications along Poland’s border with Belarus and Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad, including in the strategically important Suwałki Gap, Germany’s Operational Command announced on July 22. The defenses are intended to complicate a possible attack against NATO territory by Russian and Belarusian forces.
The Suwałki Gap is a narrow stretch of territory located between Belarus and Kaliningrad linking Poland with Lithuania and the other Baltic states. It is often described as one of NATO’s most vulnerable geographic points, as a Russian troop movement into the area would effectively cut the Baltic countries off from the rest of the alliance.
The German contingent, which includes specialized army engineering units as well as military medics and support personnel, is working in Poland at Warsaw’s invitation as part of Poland’s Eastern Shield program. Together with Polish forces, German sappers will dig anti-tank ditches, install wire obstacles, and build field fortifications and firing positions in northern Poland.
The contingent’s commander said Eastern Shield would strengthen Poland’s borders with Russia and Belarus through the construction of a physical barrier, adding that German troops, with their expertise in making terrain impassable to enemy forces, would help their Polish counterparts enhance the security of Poland and its NATO allies alike.
The German command arrived in Poland on June 22. Starting from June 29, about 15 service members were on site conducting reconnaissance, while the main forces of a reinforced engineering and machinery platoon arrived in early July. The mission is planned to develop in several stages through October 2026, but it can be extended if necessary.
Earlier reports confirmed that Poland is creating a new military formation — the Border Protection Component within the Territorial Defense Forces — to defend its borders with Russia and Belarus. It will include four brigades responsible for key sections of the eastern border, serving as one of the pillars of the Eastern Shield program.
