Polish Territorial Defence Forces urged to be ready for call-up on short notice
Polish Territorial Defence Forces have been asked to be ready for a possible call-up on shorter notice than the standard procedure amid the ongoing operation to destroy what are presumed to be Russian drones that have entered Polish airspace.
Source: Polish Territorial Defence Forces, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The announcement states that the potential call-up time for territorial defence personnel has been reduced due to the violation of Polish airspace and the work of ground search teams.
In the voivodeships closest to the eastern border – Podlaskie, Masovian, Lublin and Podkarpackie – territorial soldiers may be called up six hours before the time they are expected to report for duty.
In the central voivodeships – Pomeranian, Warmian-Masurian, Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Łódź, Świętokrzyskie and Lesser Poland – notifications may come 12 hours in advance.
Urgent call-ups are not planned in other voivodeships.
"Stay calm and spread announcements only from military and government services. If you come across debris, do not approach it and inform the police," the statement added.
Background:
- On the night of 9-10 September, Poland confirmed the violation of its airspace by drones during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine and shot some down for the first time. Podlaskie, Masovian and Lublin voivodeships were at highest risk.
- Several drones were later confirmed shot down. Officials explained that this unprecedented decision had been made due to the act of aggression and the threat to civilian safety. The number of drones downed has not been specified and official statements have not explicitly mentioned that these were Russian Shahed drones. They only note that the objects entered Poland during the Russian attack on targets in Ukraine.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed NATO about the unprecedented violation of the country’s airspace by what are presumed to be Russian drones.
- As a result of these events, four airports were closed, including Warsaw and Rzeszów airport, which is a key travel hub for Ukrainians.
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