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Poland to militarily train around 400,000 people by 2026

2025-11-06 12:39:53, Kosova & Bota CNA

Poland will begin implementing a new military training program this month as part of a broader plan to train around 400,000 people by 2026, the Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

Spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Poland now spends more of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense than any other NATO member.

It now has the third-largest army in the alliance, with a personnel strength of 216,000, and aims to increase its military even further in the next decade.

The "Ready" program will be voluntary and open to all citizens, from school students, to employed adults, companies, and the elderly.

Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has described this program as "the largest defense exercise in Polish history."

The program will offer basic safety courses, survival training, medical instructions, and cyber hygiene lessons.

"In November and December alone (...) we will train about 20,000 people in individual training, but the total number..., for all forms of training, is about 100,000 people," Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said at a conference.

The ministry aims to train approximately 400,000 people next year "individually, in groups, as part of the 'Education with the Army' program, in reserve training and in compulsory and voluntary military service," Tomczyk added.

The Chief of the Polish General Staff, Wieslaw Kukula, said the program has two main goals; to strengthen the resilience of citizens and communities, and to increase the availability, readiness and capacity of reserves.

The program was first announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk in March to "build a reserve army" amid heightened security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine./ REL