Poland is set to introduce a new military training program this month, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.
The “Always Prepared” program is part of wider plans to train 400,000 people in 2026.
Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the programme, which he dubbed “the largest defense training in Polish history” would be available to “all Polish citizens,” from primary school children to old-age pensioners.
Why is Poland offering military training to its citizens?
Poland, which shares an approximately 530 kilometer-long (330 miles) border with Ukraine, has significantly increased its military spending since Russia invaded Ukraine.
It now spends more of its GDP on defense than any other NATO member. Poland’s has become the trans-Atlantic alliance’s third-largest military.
Next year, Poland’s defense budget will grow to a record 4.8% of its GDP, Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
“We are living in the most dangerous times since World War II. A war is raging beyond our borders, there are acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea and battles in cyberspace,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
‘Always Prepared’ to cover survival training, first aid
Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said the government hopes to train 100,000 people by the end of this year.
Wieslaw Kukula, the chief of Poland’s General Staff, said the training program aims to boost the resilience of Polish citizens and communities, and to strengthen the availability, readiness, and capacity of military reserves.
Under the program, Polish citizens will be given a basic security course, survival training, medical instruction, and cyber-hygiene classes.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the people of Ukraine were “caught off guard” when Russia invaded in 2022.
“Over the four years of war, they have acquired these skills. But at the time the war broke out, these crisis response skills were lacking. We must be prepared for any scenario,” he said.
The initiative was initially announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk in March to “build an army of reservists,” given the heightened security concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and increasing apparent hostility towards NATO members, including Poland.
The Polish military currently has 216,000 personnel, which will grow by a third in the coming decade.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
