Poland has started deploying an advanced electronic barrier along its border with Russia, near the Kaliningrad region. The announcement came from Mariusz Kaminski, head of the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, and was reported by RIA Novosti.
Kaminski stated that special earthworks had begun today to construct the electronic fence on the Polish Russian frontier, specifically at the Kaliningrad border area. He described the project as a cutting edge system featuring day and night vision cameras, motion sensors, and a range of monitoring technologies designed to oversee activities at the border.
The planned length of the barrier is approximately 200 kilometers, with Polish officials aiming to have construction wrapped up by the start of autumn. Earlier, the Polish army had already erected a 2.5-meter-tall, three-row barbed wire fence along the border with Russia.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s press secretary, commented that it is Poland’s prerogative to manage its own border infrastructure and suggested that inquiries should be directed to Warsaw. He added that comment from the Kremlin would not be forthcoming in this matter.
In December 2022, Anton Alikhanov, governor of the Kaliningrad region, referenced Poland’s plan to build a border wall and even offered to supply construction materials to Warsaw. He joked about the cost of brick burning in Poland given gas prices and noted that Kaliningrad could provide materials from a local factory if needed. He also weighed in on statements by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, who linked the border strengthening to flight activity from regions in the Middle East and Africa. Alikhanov described the characterization as unhealthy paranoia and offered his own perspective on the situation.
There is already a border barrier in place near the Kaliningrad region, complicating any direct cross-border movement from the region into Poland. On April 15, Finnish border guards unveiled the first section of a 200-kilometer fence that has begun construction amid rising concerns about unauthorized entry and security near the border areas. Reuters reported that Finnish officials showed reporters the initial three-kilometer stretch near the town of Imatra. The project on the Russia-Finland border is planned to be completed by 2026.
Back in 2017, Lithuania began a fence project along its border with the Kaliningrad region. Local media cited the State Border Protection Service indicating that by year’s end a 44.6-kilometer segment on Lithuania’s side would be completed. The boundary involves three states: Lithuania, Poland, and Russia. At the same time, the 44.6 kilometers constitutes only part of the 145-kilometer land border with the Kaliningrad territory. In 2022 Lithuania also established a fence on its border with Belarus, adding to the region’s layered security architecture.