Presidential spokesman describes fortifications on eastern border as 'full of holes’

TASS · 🇷🇺 public Russia · Aug 20, 2026 · 283 words

Border Fortification Polish National Security Internal Polish Political Conflict

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What to know about Border Fortification

The article reports on statements made by Polish presidential spokesman Rafal Leskiewicz, who criticized the 'East Shield' border fortifications as ineffective. It also provides technical and financial details regarding Poland's fortification and drone wall programs along the borders with Russia and Belarus.

Propaganda risk 30%

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Poland’s East Shield fortifications, which are under construction since 2024 at the initiative of Prime Minister Donald Tusk along the borders with Russia and Belarus, are full of holes, presidential spokesman Rafal Leskiewicz stated.

Why it matters

First and foremost, it is a PR stunt that government officials demonstrate to us daily when they talk about guarantees for the security of Polish airspace and NATO’s eastern flank," Leskiewicz told reporters.

Common ground

The solutions proposed by, among others, Deputy Prime Minister [and Defense Minister Wladyslaw] Kosiniak-Kamysz are ineffective," the spokesman added.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Doubt: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Border Fortification story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Poland announced the creation of its own "drone wall" along the eastern border as part of the SAN program?
How does this story connect Border Fortification with Polish National Security over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/world/2175761

analyticsAnalysis

30%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Doubt 80% confidence

Questioning the credibility of a source or claim without providing evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing doubt helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Poland announced the creation of its own "drone wall" along the eastern border as part of the SAN program.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the announcement of a 'drone wall' along the eastern border, with one source explicitly linking it to the SAN program.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Poland plans to deploy a so-called anti-drone wall along its eastern border within the next six months. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Defense Cezary Tomczyk in an interview with The Guardia…
https://www.forumfreerussia.org/en/news-en/2025-12-29/poland…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In addition, Poland announced the creation of its own "drone wall" along the eastern border as part of the SAN program. The program calls for establishing comprehensive protection against drones along…
https://tass.com/world/2175761

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Poland announces plans to build a €2 billion anti-drone defense system along its eastern border within 2 years, responding to Russian drone incursions.
https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/poland-announces-2-billio…

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Claim 2: “Work began on the border with the Kaliningrad Region in early November 2024.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that construction work began specifically on the border with the Kaliningrad Region in early November 2024.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Baltic Defence Line is a defensive line of fortifications, obstacles and military installations being built by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The three Baltic states, which are also members of NAT…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Defence_Line

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — East Shield (Polish: Tarcza Wschód) is a national defense initiative launched by the Polish government to fortify its eastern borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The program r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Shield

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Russian Navy is the naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonweal…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Navy

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Poland’s East Shield fortifications, which are under construction since 2024 at the initiative of Prime Minister Donald Tusk along the borders with Russia and Belarus”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources and a Wikipedia entry confirm that Prime Minister Donald Tusk launched the 'East Shield' (Tarcza Wschód) initiative in 2024 to fortify borders with Russia and Belarus.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Belarus and Russia share a land border and constitute the supranational Union State. Several treaties have been concluded between the two nations bilaterally. Russia is Belarus' largest and most impor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus–Russia_relations

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “The East Shield program is estimated to cost 10 billion zlotys (about $2.5 billion), with completion scheduled for 2028.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the estimated cost of 10 billion zlotys (approximately $2.5 billion) and the completion timeline of 2028.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Canadian Shield (French: Bouclier canadien [buklje kanadjɛ̃]), also called the Laurentian Shield or the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Shield

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The East Antarctic Shield or Craton is a cratonic rock body that covers 10.2 million square kilometers or roughly 73% of the continent of Antarctica. The shield is almost entirely buried by the East A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Antarctic_Shield

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “In May 2024, the Polish authorities announced the construction of fortifications along the borders with Russia and Belarus.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results explicitly state that Polish authorities announced the construction of these fortifications in May 2024.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Brest, formerly Brest-Litovsk (1600s–1923) and Brest-on-the-Bug (1923–1939), is a city in south-western Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the Polish town of Terespol, where the Bug and Mukhav…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brest,_Belarus

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Belarusian history within the Russian Empire is associated with the history of Belarus from the Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to the October Revolution when the present-day Bela…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus_in_the_Russian_Empire

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 6: “The system is expected to be operational by the end of 2027.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found during the search to confirm the operational date of the SAN program drone wall.

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Claim 7: “Along the eastern border, the plans include digging trenches, laying minefields, installing anti-tank spikes, and setting up an active surveillance system.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources describe the specific components of the East Shield, including trenches, minefields, anti-tank spikes/obstacles, and surveillance systems.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States missile defense complex in Poland, replaced a planned site in Redzikowo, Poland with a phased plan—the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, including SM-3 Block IIA interceptors t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_missile_defense_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The East European Craton (EEC) is the core of the Baltica proto-plate and consists of three crustal regions/segments: Fennoscandia to the northwest, Volgo-Uralia to the east, and Sarmatia to the south…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_European_Craton

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 8: “The project is estimated to cost 15 billion zlotys (about $4.2 billion).”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one provided source (Presidential spokesman report) mentions the SAN program specifically; other sources mention a '€2 billion' anti-drone wall, which differs from the 15 billion zloty (~$4.2 billion) figure. The other provided evidence for this claim is irrelevant (unit converters).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Why are drones designed the way they are today? Why are they so efficient at moving so swiftly? In this video, we’ll learn about the drone’s mechanical design aspects, along with its electronics contr…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_XneaFmOmU

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of a billion is one thousand million (1,000,000,000). This figure was principally declared as the billion in American English, and was then adopted as the common measurement for billion in…
https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/finance/calculators/millio…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — web version of the program.
https://keep.google.com/

info

Claim 9: “By the end of the month, the Polish government had completed work on the first section, installing 3,500 concrete spikes.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results (a video about a lake, farmer blockades, and a volleyball game mod). No evidence was found to confirm the installation of 3,500 concrete spikes by the end of November.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — About this video: In the summer of 2024, the worst drought in generations pulled Summersville Lake — the biggest lake in West Virginia, on the Gauley River in Nicholas County — lower than anyone alive…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA4_8wzB7qk

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Polish farmers also launched a blockade at a fourth crossing near Medyka, first between November 23 and December 24 and then again between January 4 and February 3. After reaching the newly signed agr…
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/artykul/3312119,polish-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Spike Cross - Volleyball 8.0.105 — последняя версия взлома на Андроид с большим запасом золота и мячей, открытыми персонажами и всеми этапами.
https://modrusapp.com/the-spike-cross-volleyball-mod/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.