“The warning siren lasts three minutes”: in Poland, the army prepares civilians for war

Two by two, in an orderly procession, they pass through the gates of the barracks. None of them are latticework; civilians who have chosen to spend the day in this military atmosphere are not intended to join the ranks of the army. “We’re going to make sure that at four o’clock sharp, you’re out and can enjoy your Saturday afternoon.”says Second Lieutenant Aleksandr Mazur, program coordinator, in a martial but benevolent tone. Flanked by around ten instructors in a light drizzle, he faced the sixty recruits of the day lined up in the courtyard of the Zegrze barracks, in the suburbs of Warsaw.

« No questions? So turn around, right… Onward, left leg first!» Head to the canteen where breakfast is served. Busy spreading butter on her toast, Maria sat down with her two daughters aged 17 and 15. “I feel responsible for themsmiles the mother of the family, qui refuse d’être prize au…