Poland rearms itself in the face of Russia's increasingly aggressive hybrid warfare

BerlinPoland is accelerating its rearmament in response to the recent wave of sabotage targeting the country's critical infrastructure, which Warsaw blames on Moscow, and the increase in Russian drone incursions into its territory.

A staunch ally of Ukraine against Russian aggression, Poland is on the front lines of the hybrid warfare waged by President Vladimir Putin. Its geographical position—historically a source of vulnerability—is once again key: located between Germany and Russia, it shares a border with both the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin.

In recent years, the country has experienced a series of acts of sabotage that Polish authorities attribute to groups linked to Moscow. According to the government, these incidents are part of Russia's hybrid warfare strategy to destabilize countries that support Kyiv. The tactics include the use of drones, arson, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns.

"Russia wants to weaken us at any cost because today Poland is too strong to be attacked directly," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk after the latest Railway sabotage allegedly supported by Moscow and the attempted attack a few days ago on the Polish ambassador in broad daylight on a street in St. Petersburg. The sabotage of the railway line linking Warsaw and Lublin, which Tusk described as "Russian state terrorism," took place on a route vital for delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

More security measures

"Today, many experts say we are in an era that is neither war nor peace. In the age of hybrid threats, we must unite the efforts of all state services," said Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, announcing the deployment of 9,000 soldiers under Operation Horizon to reinforce the security of the country's critical infrastructure. The operation aims to prevent acts of sabotage, limit the freedom of action of potential perpetrators, and mobilize Polish citizens to report suspicious activity, as stated by the Polish Chief of the General Staff, General Wiesław Kukula.

"The adversary has begun preparations for war," said General Kukuła, warning that "they are creating a specific environment with the aim of undermining public trust in the government and institutions such as the Armed Forces and the Police." The enemy's objective, according to the Chief of Staff, would be "to create favorable conditions for a possible aggression on Polish territory. Such actions have not always necessarily preceded armed conflicts."

The Polish and Ukrainian governments have also pledged greater cooperation to "identify individuals suspected of collaborating with Russia and prevent acts of sabotage," Tusk announced.

Military preparedness for the population

Warsaw has also launched the Cyber ​​Legion program, a platform connecting the military and civilian sectors with the aim of strengthening the relationship between the Polish army and academia. The program involves IT specialists, scientists, students, and security experts, who are jointly building "a support system for the Polish army in cybercrime situations." In addition, in response to rising geopolitical tensions in Europe, Poland launched a comprehensive military preparedness program in November aimed at the entire population. The project, called Always Prepared, It aims to train 100,000 people before the end of this year and reach 400,000 by 2026., including everyone from primary school students to retirees.

Among other initiatives, in September Poland activated more security measures. The Polish Ministry of Energy and the state-owned electricity company PSE presented a package of measures to prevent major blackouts and strengthen the electrical system against potential failures and cyberattacks. With these measures, the government wants to reduce the risk of incidents like the major power outage that occurred in Spain and Portugal in April. At the same time, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentinel to reinforce the defense of the Alliance's eastern flank after Russian drones violated Polish airspace.

In the summer of 2024, Poland also deployed a major military operation called Safe Podlasie (Safe Podlasie) on the border with Belarus, with the aim of protecting it from Minsk's hybrid warfare, which encouraged the illegal entry of thousands of migrants. According to the Polish Ministry of Defense, approximately 5,000 soldiers participate in this operation daily.