Speaking exclusively to Reuters on 17 December 2025, Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski confirmed that Poland will restart production of anti-personnel mines—suspended since the Cold War—to secure its 800-km frontier with Belarus and Russia under the new ‘East Shield’ defence programme. State-owned manufacturer Belma says it can ramp up output from 100,000 to 1.2 million mines per year, meeting an estimated national requirement of 5–6 million units and potentially exporting surplus stock to Ukraine and Baltic allies.
The move follows Poland’s formal notice of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, effective 20 February 2026, and mirrors decisions by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland to leave the treaty amid heightened security concerns after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. For mobility stakeholders, the militarisation of Poland’s eastern border signals a longer period of restricted civilian crossings. Since 2021, traffic through the Terespol-Brest rail corridor is down 68 %, and logistics operators report that ‘one-stop’ customs clearances introduced in 2019 now require secondary inspections, adding up to 12 hours per truck.
Amid these shifting border-control dynamics, VisaHQ can help companies and travellers stay compliant by providing up-to-date visa and permit information for Poland and neighbouring states. Its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers real-time alerts, online application tools, and corporate dashboards that track new requirements such as mine-zone passes or restricted-area permits, ensuring mobility teams can adapt quickly as regulations tighten.
![Poland Green-lights Domestic Production of Anti-Personnel Mines for ‘East Shield’ Border Network]()
Employers with staff rotation into Belarus, Kaliningrad or eastern Poland should review duty-of-care protocols and travel-risk insurance. The Border Guard has already pre-announced extended buffer zones where drones and satellite phones are prohibited without permit—restrictions that could hamper engineering and energy projects near the frontier. Polish chambers of commerce warn that expat families in Białystok may face schooling disruptions if large-scale demining exercises occur near residential areas.
On the policy front, mine deployment complicates EU discussions on a Schengen Accession Protocol for neighbouring Ukraine. Brussels is unlikely to grant visa-free lorry permits for Ukrainian drivers while live minefields lie metres from EU territory. This could lengthen supply-chain transit via Slovakia or Romania, increasing freight costs.
Business-travel teams should therefore flag any itineraries involving road routes near the border for additional approvals and budget contingency. Over the longer term, Warsaw is expected to issue special passes for accredited engineers and humanitarian staff; mobility managers should monitor draft regulations from the Interior Ministry ahead of the February treaty-exit date.
The move follows Poland’s formal notice of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, effective 20 February 2026, and mirrors decisions by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland to leave the treaty amid heightened security concerns after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. For mobility stakeholders, the militarisation of Poland’s eastern border signals a longer period of restricted civilian crossings. Since 2021, traffic through the Terespol-Brest rail corridor is down 68 %, and logistics operators report that ‘one-stop’ customs clearances introduced in 2019 now require secondary inspections, adding up to 12 hours per truck.
Amid these shifting border-control dynamics, VisaHQ can help companies and travellers stay compliant by providing up-to-date visa and permit information for Poland and neighbouring states. Its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers real-time alerts, online application tools, and corporate dashboards that track new requirements such as mine-zone passes or restricted-area permits, ensuring mobility teams can adapt quickly as regulations tighten.
Employers with staff rotation into Belarus, Kaliningrad or eastern Poland should review duty-of-care protocols and travel-risk insurance. The Border Guard has already pre-announced extended buffer zones where drones and satellite phones are prohibited without permit—restrictions that could hamper engineering and energy projects near the frontier. Polish chambers of commerce warn that expat families in Białystok may face schooling disruptions if large-scale demining exercises occur near residential areas.
On the policy front, mine deployment complicates EU discussions on a Schengen Accession Protocol for neighbouring Ukraine. Brussels is unlikely to grant visa-free lorry permits for Ukrainian drivers while live minefields lie metres from EU territory. This could lengthen supply-chain transit via Slovakia or Romania, increasing freight costs.
Business-travel teams should therefore flag any itineraries involving road routes near the border for additional approvals and budget contingency. Over the longer term, Warsaw is expected to issue special passes for accredited engineers and humanitarian staff; mobility managers should monitor draft regulations from the Interior Ministry ahead of the February treaty-exit date.
