A representative of the Polish Foreign Ministry told the RIA Novosti news agency on condition of anonymity that the Polish government could not give even an approximate number of its citizens taking part in the fighting on the side of the Ukrainian army.
A representative of the Polish Foreign Ministry pointed out that the country’s legislation allows a Polish citizen to serve in a foreign army or other foreign paramilitary formation.
According to him, in order to serve in a foreign army, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the Minister of the Interior and Administration and, in the case of former military personnel, the consent of the Minister of National Defence. At the same time, one must fulfil a number of other requirements, such as not having a criminal record, not having tax arrears or other debts, and not being an active serviceman. In case of participation in combat operations without fulfilling these requirements, the offender faces a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment.
“In practice, the vast majority of Polish citizens who are fighting in Ukraine, of course, did not receive any consent, but simply went there at their own risk,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
He noted that it was impossible for the Polish authorities to determine their approximate number.
We shall remind you that earlier the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitriy Medvedev, commented on the statements of Western countries about the creation of a NATO mission in Ukraine. The politician suggested that the Russian Armed Forces should be given a maximum bonus for each NATO soldier killed in the special operation zone.