Polen will mehr: Der Aufstieg zur Militärmacht | WDR Doku

Poland is arming itself. Germany's eastern neighbor wants to build Europe's largest land army. We feel the support of our soldiers and know that they

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defend us if necessary. Poland is a frontline state. The war in Ukraine is much closer here than in Germany. We were very afraid and we asked ourselves: does the war start here too? I have been reporting regularly from my native Poland for more than 10 years. The war in Ukraine changed a lot here. A rocket attack worries people. And threatening gestures from Belarus. Poland is confident in itself on the international stage. As a new and influential country in the EU.

But is there something behind this? I meet different people in the country to understand: Where does this new desire for strength come from? Subtitle: WDR mediagroup GmbH on behalf of WDR I am on my way to the southeast of Poland, near the Polish-Ukrainian border. When I was born in 1989, Poland was still part of the Soviet sphere of influence. Today the external borders of the EU and NATO pass here. In November 2022, a few kilometers from the Polish-Ukrainian border, an incident occurred that shocked not only Poland, but the entire Western world. A rocket hits the small village of Przewodów and kills two people.

Has the threshold for an alliance with NATO been crossed here? Apparently, what many have feared since Russia's attack on Ukraine began last February happened tonight. Let a rocket also reach neighboring Poland and, therefore, NATO territory. After a rocket hit a Polish village near the border with Ukraine yesterday, the heads of state and government of Western countries met in Bali for an emergency meeting. How do the villagers evaluate today's incident? I've been looking for people to talk to for weeks. Many people prefer not to talk. The issue is more for big politics, not for ordinary people. One person agrees to film: Henryk Kowalczuk.

Head of the volunteer fire department of the municipality to which Przewodów belongs. Here is the place where it happened. The fatal accident occurred right behind the door. At what radio could the rocket impact be heard? Within a radius of 20 km. I was in my apartment in the next town when it happened. I heard it clearly, the explosion. The rocket kills two men who were weighing corn. There are hardly any photographs of the accident site. The highest level of secrecy. The Polish police published this photo. You can see a huge crater. At that moment, Henryk Kowalczuk and his colleagues from the fire department were called to intervene.

They cordoned off a large part of the area. Almost a year later, all the damage has disappeared, only 2 serious lights remind us of what happened here. There are houses around the business. Miraculously, they were left almost intact. Residents tell us about a bullet that flew through the air and windows that were blown open by the blast wave. But almost no one wants to talk about it in front of the camera. Nobody wants to say something bad, that's my impression. He's scared, but he'd like to say something because he was nearby when it happened. There was a deafening explosion.

The earth quaked. Przewodów was completely enveloped in a black cloud. At first I thought something had exploded in the grain silo. But there is no gas there. The day after the incident, the Polish president announced that a mistaken Ukrainian anti-missile of Soviet design had landed in Przewodów. A tragic accident. Everyone here is afraid, we are very close. I always say that if Putin makes a mistake, he could take us down. Try to take it with humor. They have no choice, he says. For Henryk Kowalczuk, this incident remains the most extraordinary mission of his life.

To this day he still wonders what was behind the accident. Where the rocket came from and why it hit them. What was it like for you to have something like that happen on your doorstep? We were very scared, not just me, everyone here. We ask ourselves: does the war also begin with us now? Nobody here would have imagined that something like this could happen. When it became clear that a rocket had landed here, we wondered if it was a coincidence. Or if there

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be more and more incidents of this type and the war will start here too.

This is a concern that he and the people of Przewodów share with many Poles. As of July 2023, 73% say the war in Ukraine also threatens Poland's security. But it is not just people's need for security that is changing as a result of the war in nearby Ukraine. Poland's role in the world is also changing. Poland is becoming a logistics center for international aid. Particularly important is the city of Rzeszów, capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. From Rzeszów it is only 90 km to the Polish-Ukrainian border. From a Polish perspective: province. Now Rzeszów is probably the best protected city in Poland.

International aid supplies, including weapons, are transported to Ukraine from here. NATO soldiers from several countries are stationed here. You can meet them at lunchtime in restaurants in the city. For example, at Damian Drupka's pizzeria. Damian and his restaurant have achieved some notoriety in Poland. The reason is a very prominent guest from the United States. Our pizzeria became famous because we delivered a pizza to US President Joe Biden. This pizza is now called "Spicy Joe" on our menu. Many people come to us now to try a "Spicy Joe." The visit of an American president to the Polish province.

This was an absolute sensation for many here, including Maksymilian, Damian's 15-year-old son. I never thought that a region like the Subcarpathian region would experience something like a visit from an American president or that American troops would be stationed here. There is a lot going on at our airport right now. The weapons arrive there and are transported further. When I visit my grandmother, who lives next to the airport, I see the

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ary equipment. There are machine guns, several tanks and

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ary vehicles. The provincial airport has become a kind of new Ramstein. Damian takes us to the airport so we can get an idea of ​​what it looks like there now.

There is a large parking lot here on the right, he says. It's already armored. We are no longer allowed to film here, but we are allowed to describe what we see. Armored vehicles, Patriot-type anti-aircraft systems that protect the terrain from possible attacks. What exactly is transported from here to Ukraine, when and in what quantity is an absolute secret. For security reasons. We all know very well that Russia is infiltrating us. A Russian spy network was recently dismantled here. They wanted to take pictures of the weapons coming to the front from here. That's why we all take great care here.

We saw with our own eyes how careful the Polish authorities are during filming. They even allowed us to take pictures directly in front of the terminal of the small local airport. So we discussed it with the press spokesperson. However, we are interrupted. We just started filming in front of the terminal. Then 2 police officers came and almost arrested us because they said the filming was not recorded. This shows how high safety precautions are currently. The fact that heavy weapons are being shipped to Ukraine through Rzeszów also puts the city in Russia's crosshairs. However, Damian considers it right to support Ukraine from here.

Because Poland also needs Ukraine as a buffer zone for its own security. What concerned us most was Putin's vision for Europe. Putin demands that NATO's zone of influence once again end behind the Oder. That the Russian sphere of influence should be the way it used to be. We feared that things would get uncomfortable for Poland if Putin took over Ukraine. Because he will then try to exert great influence in Poland. That is why we depend so much on Ukraine being able to defend itself. That's why we sent so many weapons and welcomed refugees. Ukrainians are our neighbors.

We just had to do it. Hardly any other country has welcomed as many Ukrainians as Poland. There is also a lot of collaboration in other areas. For example, in business, where there were numerous connections even before the war. *Music* A shopping area in the city of Czestochowa in Upper Silesia. The Drog-Bud road construction company is already thinking about the future of Ukraine. I know Artur Tauzowski. He heads the company's branch in Ukraine. Artur Tauzowski usually works in western Ukraine, in Lviv. The construction company is the only one still building roads in Ukraine in the summer of 2023. *Siren* Like everyone in Ukraine, Artur Tauzowski has installed an aerial warning application.

Sometimes I forget to turn off the alarm app when I get home to Poland during the weekend. Once there was an air alert for the Lviv region at night. My cell phone was in the living room, the alarm started ringing so loudly that it woke everyone up. My wife woke up next to me in bed and said, What's wrong? She thought we were under attack. Drog-Bud is an example of a Polish success story after the end of communism. In the 90s, road construction companies in Poland had a lot to do. Back then the roads were in poor condition and there were no highways.

When the company started its business in Ukraine in 2016, it wanted to repeat its success in Poland there. The potential in Ukraine was enormous. Hundreds of thousands of kilometers of roads had to be rebuilt. The infrastructure there was so dilapidated that it was normal to plan a 100 km trip in more than 3 hours. As before in Poland. - Exactly. We had experience with the Polish market. That's why we had the confidence to go as a company to Ukraine. In addition to 300 Polish employees, 250 Ukrainians work in the company. After the start of the war, many of them and their families stayed in one of the company's hotels in Poland.

Since then, working conditions in the construction industry have deteriorated greatly. Building materials are becoming more expensive. However, Artur Tauzowski is holding on to construction projects in Ukraine. And I want to continue working there in the future. In my opinion, Polish-Ukrainian relations have not changed. They were good even before the war. As a Pole, I have never experienced anything bad in Ukraine in the 8 years I have been living and working there. We want to do something positive for the country with our work. Of course we also want to make money. But Ukrainians also benefit from it. New roads on which they can travel more easily, expansion of border crossings.

Because the current situation is catastrophic. The queues at the Polish-Ukrainian border are gigantic. But whether their plans come true also depends on how the war continues. Therefore, in the executive suite they closely monitor what is happening at the front. Zdzislaw Nowak, CEO of Drog-Bud, hopes that a diplomatic solution will be reached within the next year. From a Polish perspective, is there any option for Ukraine to lose the war? A difficult question. We do not even allow such a thought. No, we will not allow such a thought. You know, there's war there. Many people die in war.

I don't know how this will end. When it comes to Russia: Russia has no interest in peace, Russia just wants more conflict. We must continue to help Ukraine. Maybe sometimes it's too much to ask. Tanks, ammunition. But without this help Ukraine would immediately lose. We have 250 Ukrainian employees. But we don't know what will happen tomorrow. We are waiting, like everyone else. According to the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, 3,000 Polish companies are ready to rebuild Ukraine. They also hope for economic benefits and a new era of Polish-Ukrainian cooperation. But for that to happen, the war must first stop.

In Drog-Bud they will not find out until after our filming that the Polish government no longer wants to deliver any more weapons to Ukraine. Experts estimate that this may also be because Poland can no longer deliver anything. The country looks completely different in August. Warsaw. I'm on my way to the big military parade on Polish Armed Forces Day. It is the largest parade in more than 30 years. Since the end of communism. Poland has been rearming, especially since the start of the war in Ukraine. Defense spending has risen to about 4% this year, measured as a percentage of gross domestic product.

No NATO country is investing more. The goal, as the government puts it: deterrence. I hear a trailer over the speakers. It looks like it was made for a movie. "Czekaja na was naprawde wielkie emocje." The speaker promises “great emotions.” Then dozens of tanks and other military equipment pass by the spectators. Poland wants to become a missile power and have more artillery systems than France and Germany combined by 2035. It was a wonderful experience. We are proud of our Polish armed forces. We feel that we have the support of our soldiers and that they will defend us if necessary.

Our expectations for today were fully met. Our army must grow, it must be strong to repel all these hybrid attacks. If a strong military attack is necessary, we will certainly be prepared. Do you believe that? Is Russia watching what is happening here? I'm sure half the world was watching. The way Poland is currently being set up, we are definitely on top, atless in Europe. Today is a very emotional day for me. I am proud of the Polish army. Without our soldiers we would be at the mercy of others. We know what it looks like: 5,000 helmets. It is a reference to Germany.

That was what Helme promised when Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine began. While Poland was immediately ready to supply the main battle tanks. Poland seems to be the country that is making progress within the EU in terms of rearmament. As? I'm going to the Ministry of Defense in Warsaw. Here I have an appointment with an independent security expert. I see several foreign delegations enter the place. From South Korea and Ukraine. The latest weapons purchases are presented to the ministry. A quote from the Minister of Defense. Poland's security is priceless. Poland will be on the campaign trail in summer 2023.

The ruling PiS also uses arms purchases to promote itself, Marek Swierczynski of the liberal think tank Polityka Insight tells me. Parliamentary elections will be held in Poland in October. It is not surprising that those in power show in advance an area of ​​their work that has real and positive effects. These are weapons purchases. At least we can see the new devices. Polls show that rearmament is generally well received in Poland and especially among voters of the ruling PiS. Polish politicians and defense experts only argue about the “how”. And about the high costs. It is also unclear to many people who will use the new weapons.

The Polish army is expected to have 300,000 soldiers. According to the Ministry of Defense, there are currently around 180,000 soldiers. However, it should be clear that the ministry practices, shall we say, creative accounting. It includes all people who wear a soldier's uniform in any way, including military school students and people still in training. So I would be very careful with this number. One thing is certain: we are in the process of expanding the military. I don't know if the 300,000 soldier plan is realistic. Where should so many soldiers come from that the Polish government would like to have and who are necessary to use these weapons in case of doubt?

The Polish Ministry of Defense has also thought about something in this regard. *Music* I'm going to a "military picnic." This summer they will be held throughout Poland to recruit young people. * Music * Compulsory military service was abolished in Poland 15 years ago. I know some people here who are in favor of reintroducing it. This visitor, for example, is Tomek, a carpenter from Warsaw. He himself still did military service. Then at least you will have an idea in case of war. And you don't have a gun in your hand and you don't know what to do with it. I think everyone should take a course like this.

This should be mandatory in all countries. You never know what can happen. This has not been announced in Ukraine either. Putin just went and attacked them. If his son later decided to pursue a career in the military, he wouldn't care, he says. He's not the only picnic attendee who thinks this way. I also believe that Poland is a frontline state. People care about their defense. * Music * Other countries are also concerned about Poland's security, including Germany. I am on my way to the city of Zamosc, in the southeast of Poland. The historic center of Zamosc is protected by UNESCO and is very popular with tourists.

Since the beginning of the year it has also been under the protection of around 300 Bundeswehr soldiers. We left the city in a Bundeswehr vehicle. To a secret place. A total of 3 Patriot fighter squadrons are positioned around Zamosc. A response to the wrong missile in Przewodów. Colonel Jan-Henrik Suchordt leads the operation. The specific mission here is to protect the city of Zamosc from misguided tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or the like. To prevent something like what happened in Przewodów from happening again. One of the anti-aircraft systems can attack up to 5 targets at the same time.

With guided missiles that are fired from said launchers. It is a purely defensive operation. All the mayors of the surrounding towns were there to welcome him as leader of the contingent, says the colonel, as a sign of gratitude to him. In principle, Poland is in a situation similar to that of the Federal Republic of Germany during the Cold War. I say that it is noticeable here, and it is becoming clearer every day, that Poland is much more affected by this conflict. And it also feels much more affected than the German population. Because it now seems certain that the Przewodów rocket was not the only incident of this kind.

In April, a hiker found parts of a Russian rocket in a forest near Bydgoszcz, central Poland. It is said that he went down there in December. The case is now being investigated by Polish authorities. The government and military are silent on the details. I wonder why. I did not receive a response to my request from the government. These are secret times when it comes to the security of Poles. One thing is certain: it is not a trivial matter if a missile hits a NATO country. This is also seen in the Bundeswehr. Actually, I don't want to imagine what would happen if such a mistaken rocket fell not in some forest, but in a densely populated area.

Then there would definitely be more deaths and injuries. And in this context, it makes a lot of sense for us to be here and fulfill this protection mandate. * Music * Poles are also very worried about possible attacks because people here have built something in recent years. Poland is the sixth largest economy in the EU. The times of economic scarcity that my family experienced are now behind us. People like Damián helped the country advance economically after the end of communism. Damian now employs 47 people. And he is proud of how Poland has developed. I have been observing Polish politics for a long time.

Also how Poland is perceived abroad. My impression is that for a long time it was not so interesting for Western countries what Poland thinks. Do you feel that is changing? Surely. Poland's image in the world has changed. Also that of the EU countries of Eastern Europe and the Baltic as a whole. Now we speak with one voice. I have the impression that this is heard in Europe and influences decisions. In the past, we Poles were looked at askance when we warned against doing business with Russia, for example. Everyone thought the Poles were crazy. The whole world does business with Russia, and only the Poles warn and say that Russia is not suitable for it.

But time has shown that we were right and that Russia is not a reliable partner. In Poland they have a lot to lose, says Damian. That is why it is even more important for him that NATO soldiers are stationed directly in Poland. We have trusted someone from far away to come here and defend us throughout history. We know how that turned out. France and Britain were supposed to defend Poland in World War II, but unfortunately things turned out differently. There are soldiers stationed with us now. From the United States, Germany, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands.

If they are attacked, no one will say that something is wrong. Our NATO partners will have to react. This gives us a feeling of security. Damián is not alone with this attitude. According to a recent survey by the CBOS polling institute, 92% of Poles say they support their country's membership in NATO. But there are threats that not even NATO soldiers can protect Poland from. During our filming several incidents occur that worry people. In August 2023, two Belarusian military helicopters will briefly fly into Polish airspace. Neighbors take photographs of him. At the same time, there are fears that mercenaries from the famous Wagner group, who are now stationed in Belarus, could travel to Poland, for example to carry out attacks.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned against this in August. Wagner's mercenaries could try to enter Polish territory disguising themselves as illegal immigrants. Threats also come from Belarusian leader Lukashenko. Wagner's mercenaries would like to travel to Poland. Is this scaremongering or is it a real danger? I would like to know what the people of Przewodów think about recent events. Henryk Kowalczuk, head of the volunteer fire brigade, invited me to his mother-in-law's house. The family spends their weekends here. Mr. Henryk, what is this here? - This is our basement. So there is no bunker? - No, no, not a bunker.

Danuta is 87 years old, she is very fit and knowledgeable. The radio plays in her kitchen all day. (she speaks Polish) Danuta lived through World War II. What she now hears in the media worries her. These Wagner people are bullies. They can dress up as immigrants at any time and come here with us. Now there are many soldiers on the border and that makes us happy. We watch television and read the newspaper every day. We know what's happening. And we are glad that so many countries support Poland and defend us in case of doubt. But we also pray, because that is the greatest help, the one from above.

Danuta mainly watches national television, TVP, which mainly reflects the opinion of the government. Her son-in-law Henryk, on the other hand, gets information from various sources. He has many questions. These things that happened, first here in Przewodów, then the rocket in Bydgoszcz and then these helicopters from Belarus. That worries me that maybe we are missing something in our defense. Military radar probably did not detect the Belarusian helicopters because they were flying too low. How could that happen? And why is the government so hesitant and parsimonious in providing information? It's questions like these that concern you. Do you feel protected or not?

No, we believe that we are protected because we have many soldiers on the border. We believe in our government. Yes, we believe him, but at the same time we wonder why certain things happen even though our government tells us that every inch of our territory is protected. People simply did not expect Belarus to do something like that. Putin is provoking us, Henryk. If we responded militarily to this, there would be war. Putin is just waiting, girl. The conversation between the two will probably take place this summer in many Polish homes. *Music* I want to know more and I travel to Warsaw again.

Here I meet defense expert Marek Swierczynski again. How do you rate Poland's security? Of course, in incidents like this it happens that a rocket falls here. But I also see that the other side has some respect for the effectiveness of NATO. And if Putin has this respect, he will be even greater with Lukashenko. But, he explains to me, Poland is in a kind of hybrid war with Russia and Belarus. A confrontation below the threshold of an open armed conflict. The government is trying to find answers to this, says Marek Swierczynski. But, in his opinion, his margin of action is limited.

Poland has moved several army units to the Polish-Belarusian border. This shows that the government is attentive to the situation. If the worst happened, she could act. Unfortunately, we have to respond to these aggressive and potentially dangerous maneuvers. But we shouldn't worry too much that the other party might take advantage of it. Russia and Belarus may want us to respond violently to one of their provocations. Which in turn would justify Belarus also resorting to other, more offensive means. Keep calm in geopolitically uncomfortable times for Poland. That is Marek Swierczynski's message. But also be prepared. * Music * For some people in Poland, being prepared also means taking the security of their country into their own hands. *Music* It's not a very large part of the population, but it's there.

People who join one of the many territorial armies. It is a sub-branch of the Polish Armed Forces that has only existed since 2017. A military training area north of Poznan. Attention, instructors. Resume exercise. *Gunshots* “Vacation with the Territorial Army” is the program we attended today. 120 people participate in the 16-day course. One of them is Kamila, 36 years old. Today is day 4 of training. For the first time in her life, Kamila holds a rifle in her hand. She actually she is a beautician. It was a big surprise to everyone that I was here. My children and my husband found out when I was already here.

The children call me every day. They say, Mom, turn on the camera. Everyone thinks it's amazing what I'm doing here. You know me as a beautician, which doesn't go well with being a soldier. In fact I work sitting down. I've been sitting and doing my nails all day for 15 years. And here: she runs, runs, runs. It was a shock. The territorial army makes this possible. Workers in Poland, in addition to their work, are also soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Tomasz Wozniak does not worry about young talents. I must say that here in Greater Poland Voivodeship we have many volunteers.

These are people who come from different social backgrounds. They have different interests and are different ages. But they have a common goal. The defense and protection of our homeland. We are preparing for many different scenarios here. They can be natural disasters, but also armed conflicts. We are currently teaching recruits the basics. But the trainingmilitary is always the most important. We pay special attention to this. About shooting training and tactical exercises. The youngest participants in the training are 18 years old and still in school. Many of them are thinking of becoming professional soldiers. It feels good to connect with your homeland, get closer to your country.

Why does this feel good? I can't really describe it. It's just nice to help your country. You can do something for your country. What do your parents say about you being here? My parents are very happy. My father, who works abroad, was very happy. He himself served only a very short time. So everyone thinks it's good that I'm here. I want to know what the war in Ukraine has to do with your decision to be here. I try to ask this question several times. New recruits are not allowed to answer this. Those are the rules, says the press spokesperson.

People in uniform are no longer allowed to express themselves politically. Kamila only tells me this: she is aware of all the possible consequences that her decision may have. It's about protecting my country. For me, this is obviously the worst thing that can happen. The moment I walked through the door I knew. And you're still participating here even though you know what that could mean? Naturally. I'm ready for this. She's scared, but that doesn't matter, says Kamila. She is willing to do her duty if a crisis arises. She will soon take her vows and then go to train once a month for three years.

Only then will she be a fully trained soldier in the territorial army. * Music * The fact that there is a war in Poland's neighboring country, Ukraine, often seems very far away in these summer months. People are enjoying life as the election campaign heats up in political Poland. National conservative PiS warns against illegal immigrants and Germany. For example, he posts clips in which he warns that Poland will not sell itself to Germany if his opponent, Donald Tusk, is elected. And there are also disagreements between Poland and Ukraine. Poland apparently is neither willing nor able to supply any more weapons at the moment.

What will happen after the elections? Will Poland remain a reliable partner for Ukraine and NATO? I will meet Damian again in Rzeszów. How does he feel about it? Elections will soon be held in Poland. In his opinion, what part wins in the future defense strategy, in the purchase of weapons? For now, I don't think it matters which party wins. When it comes to the welfare of the State and this main objective, we have to be strong. Nobody will shake it. Society would not allow that because it sees what is happening. Here we are clear that we must arm ourselves and not allow ourselves to be surprised.

We know exactly from history what it was like when we were occupied, when other countries divided Poland. We value our freedom very much and we will all work to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. Poland as an economically and militarily strong buffer state protecting the eastern border of the EU and NATO. This is the image that Damián has in mind. As he traveled through my home country, I realized how much Poland is trying to be a strong country. And this is also important for us in Germany. Because Poland, as a neighboring country of Ukraine, has become the center of European security.

At the same time, the Poles are aware that they also depend on their partners, on NATO. The new Poland is more self-confident, but also more vulnerable. Copyright WDR 2023