The mines will be part of the country’s new “East Shield” program aimed at fortifying its 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier, Zalewski told Reuters. He added that Poland could begin production next year, once it formally withdraws from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning such weapons.
“We are interested in large quantities as soon as possible,” Zalewski said. He also confirmed for the first time that Warsaw has decided to proceed with mine production, having launched the treaty withdrawal process in August.
State-owned defense firm Belma said it is preparing to supply the Polish military with up to 5–6 million mines under East Shield. The company currently produces around 100,000 mines annually but could ramp up output to 1.2 million next year, including anti-personnel mines.
Belma CEO Jarosław Zakrzewski said Poland’s needs would come first, but excess production could be exported to Ukraine or NATO allies bordering Russia. Several countries in the region, including the Baltic states, have expressed interest in buying Polish-made mines, he added.
Zalewski noted Ukraine is “absolutely a priority” for Poland, describing the Russia-Ukraine front as “the European and Polish security line.” Ukraine and Russia have both been accused of using such mines during the war, and Kyiv has also begun the process of leaving the Ottawa Convention.
The Ottawa Convention, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, was adopted in 1997 and came into force in 1999. It prohibits the use, development, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and requires their destruction.
Poland signed the treaty in 1997 but did not ratify it until 2012. Anti-personnel mines, by contrast, have a long history of causing civilian casualties during and long after conflicts.
Countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina still struggle with uncleared minefields dating back to the 1990s.
While nearly all European countries are parties to the convention, major powers such as the United States, China, India, and Russia have not joined.
Russia has been documented using anti-personnel mines during its invasion of Ukraine.
Several NATO and EU countries bordering Russia have recently moved to leave the convention, citing growing security concerns. These include Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and now Poland.
(jh)
Source: Reuters, IAR