Cezary Tomczyk

Stories

NATO's eastern flank builds a new iron curtain of mines, bunkers, and barriers

Overseeing implementation of mine production and East Shield integration

In 1997, 122 countries signed a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, buoyed by a campaign that won the Nobel Prize. By 2016, Poland had destroyed its entire stockpile, but on February 20, 2026, it withdrew and announced plans to restart mine production and mine its 400-mile eastern border within 48 hours. These minefields will integrate into a $2.5 billion fortification network stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Carpathian foothills.

Updated May 29

Notable Quotes

"This doesn't mean that anti-personnel mines will suddenly appear — only that the military will have greater freedom in using, producing, and storing them." — January 2026, Radio Zet interview

from NATO's eastern flank builds a new iron curtain of mines, bunkers, and barriers · Updated May 29

"Mines are one of the most important elements of the defense structure being constructed on the eastern flank of NATO." — February 2026

from NATO's eastern flank builds a new iron curtain of mines, bunkers, and barriers · Updated May 29