Poland will place anti-personnel mines at the borders with Belarus and Russia, in order to strengthen its defense.

The Deputy Minister of Defense, Pawel Zalewski, announced that he intends to produce anti-personnel mines to strengthen the eastern borders with Belarus and Russia, as well as to export them to Ukraine. Furthermore, he stated that production could begin after the expiration of the six-month withdrawal period from the international treaty, on February 20, 2026. These mines will be part of the defensive program 'Eastern Shield'.

Poland abandoned the production of anti-personnel mines in the 1980s and suspended their export, but in the context of threats from Russia, it has begun the process of withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention.

Other countries in the region, such as Lithuania and Finland, are also planning to start producing anti-personnel mines, while Latvia and Estonia have not yet announced concrete plans but are open to the option of producing them if necessary. Anti-personnel mines are explosive devices designed to maim or kill, activated by contact.