"Lithuanian officials hope restored peat bogs can reinforce the border in addition to locking away planet-warming carbon."

"VILNIUS, Lithuania - In a scrubby forest an hour outside the Lithuanian capital on a recent day this spring, excavators were digging ditches and tree harvesters were whirring in an effort to restore a waterlogged, mosquito-infested ecosystem that was drained in the Soviet era.

The reason is twofold: to help the climate and to defend the country from invasion.

The area was once a vast peat bog, and peat bogs are highly efficient at storing planet-warming carbon dioxide. They also happen to be very good at stopping tanks, because the spongy soil can’t support the weight of armored vehicles. The tanks get stuck and sink, often permanently.

Tomas Godliauskas, the Lithuanian vice minister of defense, said the bogs would form “an integral defensive line” when combined with other military tactics. The project also has the advantage of being relatively cheap compared with other measures like tank ditches and minefields, he added.

Lithuania isn’t the only European Union country using bogs to deter a Russian invasion."

Avril Silva reports for the New York Times May 13, 2026. [2]