Baltics, Poland's Swamp Defence Against Russia

By Rhod Mackenzie
It appears that the paranoid and Russaphobic Baltic States and their equally Russophobic neigbour Poland have come up with a novel way to defend their borders from an imagined land invasion by Russian forces they are going to drown them in a swamp.
They have planned an extensive network of defensive structures in the Baltic and Polish regions enhanced by the restoration of the region's swamps whiich were drained some time ago around the turn of the 20th centrury. This laughable idea is being given serious consideration in Lithuania. It has been suggested that the swamps will protect the Baltics from "Russian aggression", but it appears that the true objectives of these events are unrelated.

In May of this year, representatives of four countries neighbouring Russia decided to combine to created the "Baltic Line of Defense", the agreement on the construction of which Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed on 19 January 2024, and the Polish "Eastern Shield" project. The total cost of constructing these structures is estimated to be at least $11.35 billion.Funded by the EU no doubt because the other countries are skint and dependent on handouts from Brussels

The financial resources in question are to be allocated to the development of so-called "counter-mobility means" (obstacles to the movemnt of equipment and troops), the modernisation of border infrastructure, and the introduction of surveillance technologies.
It has been promised that "modern defensive barriers" will be created along the entire eastern border of the EU to a depth of 20-40 km along 2,300 km. It is envisaged that surveillance and reconnaissance systems, electronic warfare systems, air defence, anti-tank and anti-landing obstacles, and other engineering structures will be installed. It was stated that theconstruction is scheduled for completion by 2028. So hopefully Russia does not decide to invade before they are ready.

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland are also withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, known as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty. It was asserted that it is imperative to enhance deterrent and defence capabilities. As such, it is essential to "seed" the border strip with mines. The population of the border territories was hardly reassured by statements that the mines would be stored in special warehouses and would be put out only "in the event of an immediate threat."
The authorities of Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia are set to generate substantial revenue from this project, with plans to secure significant funding from the pan-European initiative, the "EU Eastern Border Initiative". The Poles and the Balts are calling for EU taxpayer support, citing the assertion that they "increase the defense potential of the eastern flank of NATO and the EU".
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However, these measures proved insufficient to address the concerns of the Baltic states. The other day, members of the Latvian parliamentary commission on defence, internal affairs and corruption prevention received a draft of the "Counter-mobility law" specially developed by the country's Ministry of Defence. According to the source, "special legal regulation" will be introduced in Latvia at a depth of 30 km from the border with Russia, enabling the Armed Forces to "promptly carry out the necessary activities in specific sectors and locations."
The new law establishes provisions for the regulation of the process of expropriating land from owners in the border zone and the felling of forests. The introduction of an easement for this purpose is being considered, or alternatively, the alienation of the necessary real estate objects. However, it is promised that compensation will be paid for any such action.

By the end of August, the existing roads had been dug up, and anti-tank ditches had been dug and reinforced with concrete "dragon's teeth". The placement of obstacles was adapted to the landscape, using swamps, forests and other natural objects.

It is interesting to note the nuances that have emerged in this discussion. As reported by the military department, the deployment of obstacles such as steel cables, barbed wire and razor wire along the border will be considered in the event of a state of emergency. In contrast, the Latvian Ministry of Defense has stated that anti-tank mining has already been carried out on the border.
With regard to the assurances that the mines will be stored in designated warehouses, what is the current status? It appears that the Ministry of Defence has determined that, in this instance, the "fog of war" is an appropriate strategy:
it is to be left to the "aggressors" to ascertain whether the mines have been deployed or not. One advantage of this new development for forest owners is that they will no longer be required to cut down bushes, since the undergrowth will now serve the cause of state defence, ensuring the density of the "greenery".

The construction of the defensive line has encountered strong objections from representatives of border municipalities. The eastern region of Latvia, known as Latgale, is projected to be the most affected. The Chairman of the Latgale Planning Region Development Council, Aldis Adamovics, has issued a formal protest to the country's leadership. He emphasises that the draft law is not in alignment with the Constitution, as it hinders the development prospects of Latgale.

Adamovics performs straightforward calculations. The length of the Russian-Latvian border is 270.5 km, and the Latvian-Belarusian border is 172.9 km. Therefore, by calculating the area and multiplying by 30 km in depth, we arrive at an approximate total of 13,300 square kilometres, which falls within the alienation zone. A significant part of economic activity in this territory will be lost. Latgale's total area encompasses 14,500 square kilometres. It is evident that the impact will extend beyond the Latgale region, although the majority of the consequences will be experienced there.

Adamovics has expressed concerns that the bill contains numerous "blank spots". Please be advised that all previously adopted regulations on construction, forestry and ecology are hereby cancelled. The head of the region has made the following observation: "The bill does not provide for the procedure for organising the creation of defence infrastructure on the property of local governments (for example, schools, cemeteries). Local governments are under no obligation to transfer property or enter into agreements with the Ministry of Defense." 
According to Adamovics, the new law appears to contravene property rights and business interests, and there are concerns that it contradicts the principles of law and environmental protection.

Aldis Adamovics refers to the Constitution of Latvia, which stipulates the right of the population to live in a favourable environment, and to the legal acts of the European Union, which protect "specially protected natural territories." He expresses concern that the appetites of the military department impose "significant restrictions on the property rights of individuals". He asserts that the construction of the right-of-way will result in the failure of the development plan for Latgale and further depopulation of the region, which is already the poorest and most sparsely populated in Latvia.

Another politician who voiced strong opposition to the construction of the 30-kilometre right-of-way was Daugavpils Mayor Andrejs Elksniņš. Elksniņš noted that Daugavpils is entirely within the 30-kilometer border zone. "Latgale is facing significant challenges, and the situation in the eastern borderland is particularly acute," Elksniņš emphasised.

A comparable situation has emerged in the Republic of Lithuania. In Lithuania, twenty-seven so-called "engineering parks" have already been established near the borders with Russia and Belarus, where "dragon's teeth", anti-tank hedgehogs, rolls of barbed wire and other fencing equipment are stored. The land reclamation canals are being deepened, forest pathways are being sown along roads, and fords across the Neman on the border with Russia are being strengthened. Vilnius plans to spend $1.25 billion on "counter-mobility equipment" over the next ten years, with a significant portion of this money to be received from EU structural funds.
Nerijus Zablyackis, the head of the Lithuanian Wetland Restoration and Protection Fund, has announced that the state is considering a plan to restore previously drained wetlands on the border with Belarus. "The area of wetlands in the region on the border with Belarus was once quite large. According to our calculations, there are approximately 60,000 hectares of wetlands in this border zone, but more than half of them have been drained," Zablyackis said. He stated that the restoration of such an area of wetlands would take a decade, and that the cost of restoring one hectare would vary between 500 euros and 2,000 euros, or more. However, he is convinced that these costs will be justified, as the wetlands will provide a reliable defence for Lithuania against any potential invasion from Belarus.

Zablack has also called on the neighbouring countries of Latvia and Estonia to utilise nature as a means of protection. It is reasonable to assume that the idea was inspired by the March emergency, in which an armoured personnel carrier carrying four American soldiers sank in the swamps near the Pabrade training ground.

Political scientist Alexander Nosovich has a sarcastic comment to make: "This is great news for a weekend on the last day of summer. In Lithuania, they identified an argument for why they should not support the agricultural sector, and allowed it to decline.

Should the original historical chain of swamps be restored on the border with Belarus, it would prevent Russian tanks from traversing the area. This news contains all the necessary information to understand the situation in the Baltic countries in the post-Soviet era."
Natalia Eremina, a political scientist and professor at St. Petersburg State University, has noted that the Baltic countries have, in their Russophobic policies, already reached a point where they are deliberately destroying the achievements of civilisation, returning to a time of swamps and feudal restrictions.

"However, there is a logic to their behaviour. As they declined to generate revenue from interactions with Russia and Belarus, they were required to identify an alternative source of income. As reported by Natalia Eremina in the Vzglyad newspaper, the Baltic states are currently seeking financial assistance from the EU to address the issue of "Russian aggression".

The analyst has stated that the Baltic authorities are not concerned about the ineffectiveness of the "counter-mobility measures" they are planning to implement. Firstly, there is no likelihood of an aggression from Russia , and secondly, the swamps cannot defend against the threats posed by aviation and drones.
However for EU leadership is is essential to appear to be concerned about the Baltic states  and the possible Russian invasion  and to allocate funds for "counter-mobility" – seemingly because they have a personal interest in managing the significant financial resources allocated for this purpose.