Poland's MoD names number of those willing to join Ukrainian Legion
Photo: Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister of Defense of Poland (Getty Images)
About 300 people want to join the Ukrainian Legion in Poland. This number is insufficient to form a single brigade (typically consisting of 1,000 to 8,000 people), states Poland's Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
He explained that the recruitment of Ukrainian volunteers into the Ukrainian legion is only beginning, although Poland was ready to start training recruits on September 1.
According to the minister, training could not begin a month ago due to the lack of volunteers at that time. However, Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that Ukraine has taken steps to inform and promote the recruitment process, so an increase in interest is expected.
The Polish official was also asked how many people were ready to join the Ukrainian legion.
"I once heard about the goal of forming a brigade, but now the numbers are much smaller; I heard about 300 people," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
It should be noted that the Ukrainian legion is an initiative agreed upon by both the Polish and Ukrainian sides. Under this initiative, Poland will train Ukrainians on its territory who are willing to defend their homeland.
What preceded
In July, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that several thousand people wanted to join the Ukrainian Legion.
However, the Polish Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz recently said that the number of those willing to join the Ukrainian Legion is "too small."
This week, recruitment of volunteers for the Ukrainian legion began in Lublin. Ukrainians will have the opportunity to sign a contract, undergo 35 days of training, and enhance their skills at NATO bases in Europe.
