Mariusz Błaszczak made the announcement at a news conference in Warsaw, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
'Temporary barrier' on border with Russia's Kaliningrad region
The deputy prime minister, who is also Poland’s minister of defence, said: “Due to the launch of flights from the Middle East and North Africa to Kaliningrad, I have decided to take measures to strengthen security at Poland’s border with the Kaliningrad region, by tightening this border.”
He added: “Today Polish army sappers will begin work on the construction of a temporary barrier on the border with the Kaliningrad region.”
Błaszczak told reporters that the barrier would be “the same as on the Belarus frontier,” 2.5 metres high, 3 metres deep and consisting of three barbed-tape fences.
“There will also be an additional fence on the Polish side to protect animals,” he announced.
'We are drawing on our experience last year'
Błaszczak said the government was "determined to make the border with the Kaliningrad region secure."
He added: “We are drawing on our experience last year. There is no question whatsoever that the temporary barrier helped protect the Polish-Belarusian border at the time; it thwarted a hybrid attack from Belarusian territory, or at least significantly slowed it down.”
“And so we have decided that such a barrier should also be built on the frontier with the Kaliningrad region,” Błaszczak told reporters.
'Electronic surveillance of the frontier'
Błaszczak confirmed reports that Poland would install cameras and motion detectors on the Russian border, saying that work would be carried out to put up "equipment that will enable electronic surveillance of the frontier with the Kaliningrad region.”
Wednesday is day 252 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, dziennik.pl