Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1497523
orders and directions to the citizens, especially at lower levels. One should also note that evacuation of the people from the threatened areas to safe zones may be viewed as wishful thinking. And there are some reasons for that. First, given the range of the enemy strike assets (missiles, cruise missiles, and so on), no location in Poland actually remains safe. No air/missile defense system would be able to defend every square inch of the Polish territory. Secondly, Poland did not engage in any exercises or planning of long-term relocation for several million citizens. That number of people needs a place to sleep, drinking water, and basic hygiene. Thirdly, the existing network of roads will be destroyed, or used for military transport purposes. The fourth important matter here is this: politically, we see no leadership that would be brave enough to evacuate eastern Poland. Fifth matter - no sufficient assets are available for us, to carry out an evacuation as such. Only implementing an expansive plan for the development of protective structures and shelters at all levels, and a wise evacuation plan, leading the evacuated persons to pre-prepared regions where shelters are available, would make it possible to protect the Polish citizens in the event of a conflict. Summing it up, in late 2022 the Polish shelters and similar structures have been experiencing agony. Fortunately, there is still a chance for those structures to be revived, so that they are capable of protecting the people. That would require several actions to be taken at different levels, from legislators, through the executive branch, to other state and local authority organs. Work needs to be done at the very base of the issue, to change the approach towards this issue, not only among ordinary citizens but also among experts. Statements made by architects, suggesting that secondary exits of the shelters would be disrupting the aesthetics of facades in modern buildings cannot be tolerated. The steps that need to be made, as well as the technical solutions that shall be used - including types and equipment - would be discussed in the next part of the article. ANALYSIS