Poland is expanding its military presence in the Lublin Voivodeship, which borders Ukraine and Belarus. One of Poland’s Patriot batteries will be deployed in the Lublin area, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on 5 October. The plan also includes new ground forces, unmanned aerial vehicle units and aviation infrastructure.
Briefly about the main points
- A Polish Patriot battery is to be deployed in the Lublin area.
- There were previously no Polish Patriot systems in the Lublin Voivodeship.
- A motorised infantry brigade and air defence units are being formed in the region.
- A helicopter base for the Army is planned for Svidnyk.
- The draft law on full defence readiness has not yet been passed.
Air defence in the region had already been strengthened in September
This will be the first deployment of Polish systems specifically Patriot in the Lublin Voivodeship. In September, additional air defence assets were already being deployed there due to the risk of hybrid provocations and airspace violations.
According to Kosinyaka-Kamysh, The Lublin region and the neighbouring Podkarpackie Voivodeship are most frequently issued with security alerts due to their proximity to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The 18th Brigade will be assigned a command post and a battalion in the province
The formation of the 18th Motorised Infantry Brigade, which will form part of the 18th Mechanised Division, is underway in the province. Its headquarters are to be based in the Opole-Lubelskie and Poniatowa areas.
A new military unit is due to be deployed in Bilhoray. Plans are in place to send a battalion from the 18th Brigade there, along with air defence forces.
A drone unit in the Lukivskyi district is still only at the conceptual stage
In the Lukivskyi district, there are plans to develop drone units with a view to establishing a brigade-level formation unmanned systems. Decisions regarding this area are already being taken.
At the same time, a fully-fledged unmanned systems unit has not yet been formed: the concept is still under development.
The Svidnik is being prepared for the army’s aviation forces ahead of the delivery of the Apache
Polish military personnel are set to begin permanent operations at the airport in Świdnik, where there are plans to establish a helicopter base for the Army. The Ministry of Defence aims to complete the legal and infrastructure procedures required for the airport’s use by military aviation before deliveries begin.
Poland has purchased 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters; the first helicopters are expected from 2028. The Military Aviation Academy in Dęblin is also set to be expanded: it will acquire several dozen hectares of additional land in Sobieszyn.
Investments are also planned near Krasnik, where there is infrastructure for American Abrams tanks.
The Defence Readiness Act remains at the drafting stage
The Polish Ministry of Defence is simultaneously drafting a bill on the state’s full preparedness in the event of war. It is intended to simplify the deployment of Polish and allied troops, the preparation of infrastructure and the coordination of the army with other security forces in the face of hybrid, cyber and sabotage threats.
The Polish media unofficially refer to the document as a «pre-war law», although no separate legal regime of «pre-war status» has been introduced in the country. The Polish side is analysing Ukraine’s experience, but is not directly incorporating Ukrainian legal solutions into its own system.
As of 5 October, the project has not been approved and is still being worked on by the ministry. At the same time, military projects in the Lublin and Podkarpackie Voivodeships are set to be given high priority in 2027.
