Poland prepares to stand its ground with massive new civil defence programme
Key takeaways
- As it races to become NATO’s frontline fortress against Russia, Poland has launched large-scale civilian courses teaching survival skills during times of crisis.
- The Russian authorities have decided to make Poland the main target of an attack on NATO.
- Massive cyberattacks hamper communications and the roads are blocked with innumerable panic-stricken refugees seeking safety as thousands of drones buzz overhead.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
As it races to become NATO’s frontline fortress against Russia, Poland has launched large-scale civilian courses teaching survival skills during times of crisis. The programme is intended to help bridge the gap between the military and society while psychologically preparing civilians for war.
By: Sonya CIESNIK Volunteers in Poland's army learn to apply camouflage face paint during basic training in Nowogrod, Poland, June 20, 2024. © Czarek Sokolowski, AP Imagine the following scenario: it is 2042 and the Ukrainian front is frozen. The Russian authorities have decided to make Poland the main target of an attack on NATO. Russian forces advancing from the north (Kaliningrad Oblast) and east (Belarus) cross Poland’s eastern border, link up, and push forward as far as the Vistula River.
Massive cyberattacks hamper communications and the roads are blocked with innumerable panic-stricken refugees seeking safety as thousands of drones buzz overhead. NATO allies, divided and weakened since the United States withdrew from the Alliance several years ago, hesitate to intervene as Polish forces find themselves overwhelmed.