Poland invites German sappers to support 'East Shield' border defences
A rotational unit of German Bundeswehra's engineers has been invited by Poland to support the expansion of border infrastructure under the country's national deterrence and defence programme, 'East Shield', the General Staff stated on Wednesday.
Col. Marek Pietrzak, a spokesman for the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, said the German troops would work alongside Polish military engineers under the command of the 16th Mechanised Division.
"The involvement of the German component is a practical expression of allied solidarity and a result of the consistently developed military cooperation between Poland and Germany," the General Staff said in a statement. "The project is part of NATO's broader efforts to strengthen deterrence and defence capabilities on the Alliance's eastern flank," it added.
According to the General Staff, the expanded infrastructure will facilitate the deployment of NATO forces to Poland and improve interoperability among allied militaries.
The statement said the current Bundeswehr deployment, whose personnel began arriving in late June, comprises a few dozen "highly specialised engineers from land and support forces, backed by command, logistics, and medical personnel" along with the necessary engineering equipment.
The General Staff described the German deployment as temporary, rotational and non-combat. It said the soldiers are unarmed and are not conducting military operations, patrolling or guarding the border.
"They are not establishing their own bases or permanent military infrastructure on Polish territory," the statement said, adding that Germany has expressed its readiness to continue the mission through subsequent rotations.
'East Shield' is a defensive programme designed to strengthen Poland's resilience against conventional attacks and hybrid threats. Scheduled for implementation between 2024 and 2028, it was launched in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The programme includes the construction of fortifications and natural terrain obstacles along Poland's eastern and northern borders, covering the Pomorskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Podlaskie, Lubelskie and Podkarpackie provinces. (PAP)
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