Finland and Poland are considering an unusual but quite real weapon against possible Russian aggression. The countries are planning to restore restore the long-lost boggy floodplain in strategy to create a shield from troops and tanks, while also helping to fight climate change by renewing carbon sinks, Politico reports.
Bogs as a trap for Russian equipment
Restored peat bogs could stop the advance of Russian armored vehicles and infantry.
"When waterlogged, this terrain represents a dangerous trap for military trucks and tanks," the report says.
In a tragic example in 2025, four US soldiers stationed in Lithuania were found dead when they drove their 63-ton M88 Hercules armored vehicle into a bog.
They disappeared during military exercises at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, a town located less than 10 km (6 miles) from the Belarusian border.
NATO gains a new natural line of defense
Most European peatlands are concentrated along NATO’s border with Russia and Belarus — from the Finnish Arctic through the Baltic states to eastern Poland. Scientists emphasize that restoring part of the bogs would be a relatively cheap and simple step that combines environmental and defense goals.
Finland and Poland launch pilot projects
Finland’s defense and environment ministries will already begin negotiations this fall on a pilot project to restore peatlands. Poland is also interested in bogs as a barrier: here the initiative fits into the large-scale “Eastern Shield” program, which envisions strengthening the eastern border with networks of fences and obstacles.
