From July 1, 2026, the Territorial Defence Forces (WOT) are beginning the next phase of strengthening security on the eastern and north-eastern border of the Republic of Poland. The Border Defence Component (KOP) is being developed within the formation’s structures – a specialized structure comprising four WOT brigades: the 1st Podlaskie Territorial Defence Brigade (1. PBOT), the 4th Warmia-Masuria Territorial Defence Brigade (4. M-MBOT), the 19th Nadbużańska Territorial Defence Brigade (19. NBOT), and the 20th Przemyska Territorial Defence Brigade (20. PBOT).
Photos: WOT
The new structure is a response to contemporary security challenges, hybrid threats, and the need to further strengthen state resilience in border areas. The Border Defence Component will be one of the key elements of the security system on Poland’s eastern flank, combining the local character of territorial service with the modern capabilities required on the contemporary battlefield.
From July 1, the Territorial Defence Brigades will be reformed into Border Defence Brigades. This is an important moment not only for these units, but for the Territorial Defence Forces as a whole. The changes are part of a broader process of building a specialized component tasked with securing the state border, supporting local communities, and cooperating with other services responsible for the security of the Republic of Poland.
The Border Defence Component will comprise border defence battalions deployed across the areas of responsibility of the four brigades – battalions of the 1st Podlaskie Border Defence Brigade, the 4th Warmia-Masuria Border Defence Brigade, the 19th Nadbużańska Border Defence Brigade, and the 20th Przemyska Border Defence Brigade. This strengthens the WOT’s potential in areas where knowledge of the terrain, rapid response, and a permanent military presence are of particular importance.
The reformation of the brigades is not merely a change of names. It means new tasks, development of structures, adaptation of the training system, and the building of capabilities corresponding to real threats. Within the Border Defence Component, capabilities being developed include reconnaissance, fire support, the use of unmanned systems, counter-unmanned aerial systems, and logistical support.
“The Border Defence Component is an important step in the development of the Territorial Defence Forces and in strengthening state security. Territorial soldiers serve where they live, work, and train on a daily basis. They know the terrain, local communities, and the specifics of border regions. Today we are combining that experience with new structures, tasks, and capabilities to respond even more effectively to the challenges of the contemporary security environment,” emphasized WOT spokesperson Major Rafał Rylich.
The establishment of the Border Defence Component draws on the proud traditions of the Border Protection Corps, which in the Second Polish Republic was responsible for protecting the state’s borders. Today, soldiers of the Territorial Defence Forces continue that idea – modernly equipped, trained, and rooted in local communities.
The new structure is also part of the activities related to the East Shield National Deterrence and Defence Programme. The Border Defence Component is to strengthen security on the eastern and north-eastern border, support infrastructure protection, and increase the state’s capacity to respond to crisis situations.
Security begins at the border. From July 1, 2026, the Territorial Defence Forces are entering the next phase of development, based on tradition, experience, and modern capabilities that will support the defence of the Republic of Poland.
The concept of establishing the Border Defence Component within the Territorial Defence Forces was approved by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on October 31, 2025.
The first version of the concept was approved during a ceremony in Kolno on September 24, 2022, by the then-Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak. At that time, it envisaged that the WOT Border Protection Component would consist of 10 battalions, ultimately 7,500 soldiers, drawn from four Territorial Defence Brigades from the eastern voivodeships: the 1st Podlaskie, 2nd Lubelskie, 3rd Podkarpackie, and 4th Warmia-Masuria (in the meantime, however, new Territorial Defence brigades were established, including the 19th Nadbużańska and 20th Przemyska – ed.).
In peacetime, it will provide support to the Border Guard (SG), while in wartime its tasks will include the direct defence of the state border. The battalions will be heavily equipped with unmanned aerial systems, and K-9 and mounted sub-units will operate within them. By tradition, the Border Protection Component will be linked to the activities of the pre-war Border Protection Corps (KOP), and in accordance with a decision announced on July 31, 2024, the WOT KOP will bear the name of the late Sergeant Mateusz Sitek, who was killed on the eastern border.
🛡️ KOP – nowy rozdział w historii WOT.
Od 1 lipca cztery brygady OT współtworzą Komponent Obrony Pogranicza, wzmacniając bezpieczeństwo wschodniej i północno-wschodniej granicy RP.
To połączenie tradycji, doświadczenia i nowoczesnych zdolności Terytorialsów.
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