Just six kilometers from the border with the Russiain Branievo of the North PolishAgniezska Gentrusak, an office employee and mother of a 13 -year -old child, learns to dig trenches. Dressed in a military variant, she explains her choice: “I would do everything to protect my child. I want to be ready to fight for it, “he tells Reuters.
It belongs to the thousands of Poles who, in fear of a war with Moscow, are enrolled in voluntary military programs in Poland. These training, under the auspices of the Army, aim to strengthen classes with professionals and reserves, as concerns about Russia’s aggression are intensifying.
A society haunted by Moscow
For Warsaw, the threat is not theoretical. On Tuesday (09.09.2025), the Polish army broke Russian drones that violated its airspace-for the first time by NATO member country after the war in Ukraine. A symbolic incident that revived the historical wounds of decades of Soviet domination.
A few miles from the Russian border in northern Poland, office administrator Agnieszka Jedruszak is digging a trench. Driven by fear of war with Russia, she wants to be able to defend her family, including her 13-year-old son https://t.co/SZlwQ9oI8f pic.twitter.com/sjcrfvNni1
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 13, 2025
The Kremlin downgraded the event, talking about the “excessive emotional charge” of the West and denied any threat. But in the forests and sandy areas of Branievo, the sound of the South Korean tanks K-2, which Poland recently bought, acts as a warning.
“There is always the thought in the back of my mind: What if something happens tomorrow?” Says Jerssak, determined to prepare for a “new reality”.
The wave of volunteering
According to Colonel Gregorz Vavrzinkievic, head of the Central Military Center, more than 20,000 Poles said volunteers for military training between January and July 2025 – a number expected to reach 40,000 by the end of the year.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Poland has doubled its defense spending, reaching 4.7% of GDP in 2025 – the highest percentage in NATO, far ahead of Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
In the face of uncertainty about US stance, especially after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Warsaw is pushing Europe to take more responsibility for its safety. “Those who have not experienced Russian or Soviet occupation find it difficult to understand exactly what we are defending,” commented on Reuters, specialist Gustav Gresell of the Vienna Defense Academy.
Fortifications and troop movement
Since 2024, Poland has been building “East Shield”, a 640km fortification line on the border with Belarus and Kaliningrad’s Russian enclave, with anti -tank barriers and advanced surveillance systems. At the same time, it carries military units east so that soldiers serve closer to their homes.
The restructuring of the army focuses on mobility, anti -aircraft defense and accounting support. Volunteer programs offer flexibility: participants can continue in the professional army, join the WOT (WOT) forces or remain active or passive reserve.
“When there is war, they count the most basic: fuel, ammunition and people,” Deputy Minister of Defense Czezari Tomsik recalls Reuters.
A gap with western Europe
With 216,000 troops, Poland today has the third largest military army in NATO after the US and Turkey. Russia, on the other hand, maintains 1.5 million men. But Warsaw has impressively upgraded its strengths: 2014 was just in the ninth place of the Alliance.
On the contrary, Germany and the United Kingdom have difficulty recruiting, with smaller sizes of troops for centuries. “Eastern Europeans are more willing to fight because they know they can’t just leave,” Gresell notes.
Toward a European defense?
The debate on the autonomy of European defense is intensifying. Despite the increase in budgets, NATO remains largely dependent on US capabilities, especially in aviation, missiles and anti -aircraft systems.
In February, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced 100,000 volunteer training program by 2027. “We are ready to face today’s threats and prepare for tomorrow’s,” Undersecretary of Defense Pavel Zalefski said.
Amidst painful memories and real threats, Poland emerges in one of NATO’s most alert guards. And in the forests of Branievo, every taraboma opened by the volunteers is a transfer of this determination not to be granted or spread.