"Poland is ready to increase the number of troops at it eastern border and provide them with better equipment amid increased tensions in the country's relations with Belarus and Russia," Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday, Paralel.Az reports citing Sputnik.

"We are ready to increase the military presence on the Polish-Belarusian border. We will protect the Polish border. The police and the border guard service will be supported and provided with even better equipment," Kosiniak-Kamysz told the lower house of the Polish parliament.

Moreover, various types of fortification and other equipment would be deployed on the border as part of preparations for the Shield-East plan announced last week by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the defense chief said.

"It will not only be reinforced concrete hedgehogs or picket fences, it will not only be a set of equipment used at the right time and in the right place. Everything is aimed at surveillance, full-fledged monitoring, reconnaissance, and anti-drone systems. All these modern systems will be located on 400 kilometers (248 miles) of our border, especially with Belarus and Russia," Kosiniak-Kamysz explained.

In addition, Poland is "building drone forces," which are also the key part of the Shield-East national defense and deterrence plan, Kosiniak-Kamysz said, adding that the events in Ukraine had proven that component was of great importance.

During his speech in the parliament, Kosiniak-Kamysz also recalled that Poland had taken part in the training of almost a third of the Ukrainian soldiers within the European program, that is, 16,000 troops.

"Together with bilateral activities, this is 22,000 soldiers trained by the Polish army," the Polish defense minister added.