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A call to arms: Poland's military and civilian defenses rethink the future

By Anthony Faiola

03 Jul 2022 · 6 min read

Editor's Note

Civilians across Eastern Europe are training in case of war. A fascinating on-the-ground report for The Washington Post on the “national call to arms” taking place in Poland and beyond.

WARSAW - A few days after Russian troops stormed into Ukraine in February, Eryk Klossowski issued an unusual request to senior staff at the Polish utilities company he headed. War was raging across the border. It was time, he reasoned, for his team to expand its corporate training. Everyone should learn how to shoot a gun.

"Russia can still take more military steps and can trigger asymmetrical threats, like terrorist assaults," said Klossowski, 46, who now is planning weapons training for hundreds of rank-and-file employees in after-work sessions this fall. "Everybody needs to be prepared."

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