With a military parade, Poland commemorated the battle of 1920 and demonstrated readiness to defend itself: since the Russian war against Ukraine, billions have flowed into new equipment, and the army is being expanded.
Poland commemorated the anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw against Soviet troops with a large military parade. At temperatures of up to 35 degrees, numerous people followed the deployment of around 2,000 soldiers with “Abrams” tanks, “Himars” rocket launchers and “Patriot” anti-missiles from the USA and South Korean self-propelled howitzers. About 200 vehicles and almost 100 combat aircraft were shown, including machines from South Korea.
It was the first time after a break of several years due to the corona pandemic that a military parade was held on “Armed Forces Day”.
Further increases in the armed forces planned
President Andrzej Duda said protecting Poland’s eastern border is a core issue of Polish politics. “The defense of our eastern border, the border of the European Union and NATO, is a key element of the Polish state interest today,” said Duda, noting that Poland has been supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian invading troops for almost 18 months.
Everyone in Poland must understand that one is and will be exposed to various provocations all the time and therefore one must be on constant alert, Duda said in his speech. We are well prepared to ensure Poland’s security. At the same time, one must act responsibly and will not allow oneself to be provoked.
According to the Defense Ministry, the armed forces have increased from 100,000 to 175,000 soldiers within eight years. According to Warsaw’s plans, the Polish army should almost double in size in the coming years, including homeland security there should then be around 300,000.
At the military parade, Head of State Duda (standing in the car on the left) emphasized the importance of defending Poland’s eastern border.
Upgraded since the war in Ukraine
NATO member Poland has spent the equivalent of around 14.6 billion euros on tanks, missile defense systems and fighter jets since the start of the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The new weapons partly replaced previous models from Soviet and Russian production, which Poland passed on to Ukraine.
In the summer of 1920, Polish troops had defeated Bolshevik forces from Russia in the “Battle of Warsaw”. 103 years later, the right-wing conservative government in Warsaw is likely to try to score points with voters before the election in mid-October by presenting its military power.
With information from Martin Adam, ARD Studio Warsaw