Polish Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kościńska-Kamiś has approved the formation of four brigades of the Territorial Defense Forces (STO), which will be tasked with guarding the borders with Russia and Belarus, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported, quoted by BTA.
Poland has for the first time begun developing plans for such specialized border defense units to improve the structure of the STO in 2022. According to the project, four STO brigades will be permanently deployed along the country's eastern border and will take over the bulk of the duties of guarding it from other bodies, including the army.
Kościńska-Kamiś confirmed today that the final concept for the new Border Defence Component (BDC).
"This is another step towards strengthening NATO's eastern flank and Poland's northeastern border as part of the National Deterrence and Defence Programme "Eastern Shield", he wrote in "Ex".
The KOP will work closely with the Border Guard and will share responsibility for securing key infrastructure on the borders with Russia and Belarus, including material depots, surveillance and anti-drone systems, and more.
In the future, the Component will be equipped with advanced systems, including anti-aircraft and anti-tank missile systems, drones, anti-drone weapons, and possibly light artillery.
The Territorial Defense Forces are the fifth branch of the Polish Armed Forces. They were established in 2017 and are recruited on a volunteer basis. The main mission of the STO is to protect Poland from threats, support the regular army, and assist the civilian population during crises such as natural disasters.