Since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022, European countries that share borders with Russia have ramped up security on their eastern borders.

Finland recently completed the first stretch of a wall along its 1,340-kilometre frontier with Russia and has been closely monitoring an increase in Russian troop movements on the other side.

This summer, Poland added protective minefields to a 20-kilometre stretch bordering both Russia and Belarus, as part of its sprawling “East Shield” development programme for defence infrastructure.

Now, the NATO-members are looking to the natural world to further fortify their defences – by revitalising peat bogs.

Wetlands that accumulate peat are made up of spongy, waterlogged ground that is impenetrable for tanks. They are typically found in cooler northern climates and are dotted throughout the northern and eastern European nations that share land borders with Russia and Belarus.

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