Poland is mailing 17 million copies of a new civil defense “Safety Guide” to every household, a nationwide push to harden preparedness amid mounting concern over hybrid threats, cyberattacks and tensions along the country’s eastern frontier.
The 48-page booklet lays out what to do in an air raid, how to stock up for a long-term blackout, where to find the nearest shelter, how to administer first aid, and the steps to take in the event of biological or nuclear threats. It is designed as a practical, at-home reference for conflict and crisis, with clear checklists and space for families to organize their own plans.
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“The war beyond our eastern border impacts our sense of safety as well,” the opening page reads, an implicit nod to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the strain it has placed on regional security.
The guide includes pages for households to write down evacuation plans, list contact names and numbers, and designate meeting points in case communications go down. A link in the booklet directs readers to find their nearest shelter.
Residents are advised to keep essential supplies on hand, including a wind-up radio and a paper roadmap in case of a digital blackout, extra power banks, nonperishable foods and bottled water for at least three days. With recent nighttime temperatures dipping to around minus 10C, even a short outage could be punishing — a reality residents of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities know all too well.
Few Poles expect war to engulf the country, but officials warn that hybrid threats to critical infrastructure are already present. Earlier this week, Digital Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said Poland’s power system was targeted by an unsuccessful large-scale cyberattack in late December and that the energy grid came close to a blackout. He blamed Russian sabotage.
Public debate about readiness has intensified since drone incursions from Belarus crossed into Polish airspace last September. Warsaw said Russia was responsible for those incidents. In November, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said an “unprecedented act of sabotage” destroyed a section of the main Warsaw–Lublin rail line, underscoring the vulnerability of key transport corridors.
Authorities prioritized delivery of the first batches of the Safety Guide to residents of three eastern provinces bordering Belarus, Ukraine and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave — a geography that has shaped Poland’s security thinking for generations. In Warsaw this week, many people said they had not yet received a copy; reactions ranged from surprise to pragmatic acceptance. One woman, who declined to be filmed, described the booklet as “necessary but scary.”
Poland is not alone in reviving citizen preparedness. In late 2024, Sweden posted its “In Case of War” booklet to all households, advising residents how to react if the country is attacked. Finland and Norway have also published similar guidance, part of a broader European effort to strengthen civil resilience alongside military deterrence.
For Poland, the Safety Guide is both instruction manual and message, encouraging households to plan for contingencies that once felt remote. “The war beyond our eastern border impacts our sense of safety as well,” the booklet states — a line that captures a new, sober calculus in a country confronting the blurred front lines of modern conflict.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
