Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1542142
If, then, the worst were to happen today – an act of ar- med aggression – we could count only on existing resources, so alongside the military and the police we would primarily rely on the fire services and volunteer rescue formations. Our small mercy is that the likely forms of attack are hybrid operations or, at most, small-scale missile and drone strikes, for example aimed at logistical nodes such as the airports in Świdnik and Rzeszów. If such an attack were to occur, one can hope that exi- sting rescue services would manage. Using the airport example – if a salvo of missiles struck such an installation, causing fires and destruction of both aircraft and buildings, the first responders would be the airport fire and rescue service, supported by arriving nearby units of professional and volunteer fire brigades. The number of ca- sualties should also not be greater than that resulting from a "peacetime" disaster such as an aircraft crash or a building collapse. That is therefore the level we should already be pre- pared for. Unfortunately, if we extend the time horizon by only five years, the threat may be significantly greater. In five years – after the conflict in Ukraine has either been settled or fro- zen – Russia may attempt broader actions against countries on NATO's eastern flank, especially using means that are alre- ady known. A full-scale air and missile campaign to destroy critical in- frastructure is a threat that could materialize within that timeframe. That simply means the danger of repeated at- tacks using anywhere from 50 to perhaps 300 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in a single strike – as is happening now in Ukraine. www.fragoutmag.com