Warsaw, February 10, 2026 – The Europe Today: Poland’s Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, has announced the launch of a large-scale program aimed at establishing a high-readiness military reserve to bolster the country’s defense capabilities.
According to the Ministry of National Defense and media reports, the planned high-readiness reserve will complement the professional army and the Territorial Defense Forces, collectively forming a force of approximately 500,000 service members. The minister stated that the reserve component itself will comprise around 300,000 reservists, with the training program scheduled to begin in March this year.
Kosiniak-Kamysz explained that the initiative is driven in part by demographic trends, noting that inevitable population changes will result in fewer new recruits for the armed forces in the coming years. The creation of a robust and well-trained reserve is therefore seen as essential to maintaining long-term military readiness.
Under the program, reservists will be recruited on a voluntary basis from among civilians assigned to specific military units. They will participate in regular training exercises and remain prepared for rapid mobilization when required. The defense minister emphasized that participation in the reserve will be open to both men and women on equal terms.
As of January 2026, the Polish Armed Forces comprised more than 216,500 personnel, including approximately 162,000 professional soldiers.
