(Adnkronos) – A pilot program of voluntary military training open to all Polish citizens will start on November 22. This was announced in Warsaw by Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, explaining that the initiative aims to train up to 400,000 civilians by next year.
“We are living in the most dangerous period since World War II. A war is raging beyond our borders, there are acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea and battles in cyberspace,” the minister stated, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The program, he added, was born precisely in response to the increasing risks of escalation and will be open to “all Polish citizens who wish to participate,” from elementary school children to retirees.
According to what was communicated on X by the Ministry of Digitization, the program will be structured into four modules – security, survival, first aid, and cybersecurity – and will take place on weekends, with an average duration of one day. Citizens will be able to register via a dedicated app, and companies will also be able to organize collective sessions for their employees.
The ministry specified that the defense courses “do not equate to military service” and do not involve any oath or registration on the reserve lists.
