Cyberspace Defence Force is a regular army component having both defensive, reconnaissance, and offensive capabilities - Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said on Tuesday during an official ceremony presenting the newly established forces.
The Minister of Defence on Tuesday took part in the official launch of the new Polish Armed Forces component - the Cyberspace Defence Force.
"We've been consistently building our cybersecurity capabilities. In 2019, we opened the National Cyber Security Centre by consolidating earlier dispersed institutions engaged in this sphere," Błaszczak said.
He added that both the National Cyber Security Centre and the Cyberspace Defence Force will be closely integrated.
"We're perfectly aware that cyberattacks in the 21st century have become one of the key elements of aggressive policies, including that of our neighbour. Hence, these capabilities have a fundamental, crucial importance for the Polish Army," Błaszczak said.
"The Cyberspace Defence Force is a regular army component having both defensive, reconnaissance, and offensive capabilities, if the need be," the defence minister underscored.
During the ceremony, minister Błaszczak officially appointed Brigadier General Karol Molenda as chief of the newly created army component.
More U.S. soldiers arrive in Poland
More United States' soldiers and equipment arrived on military planes at Rzeszów-Jasionka airport in southeastern Poland on Tuesday (February 8).
On a chartered Being 747, hundreds of U.S. soldiers arrived in Rzeszów, located around 100km (62 miles) from the Ukraine border.
A 747 of this type can carry more than 400 poassengers, and the group is the largest so far to arrive of a deployment of 1,700 service members to Poland in response to worries of the impact on NATO's eastern flank in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Other smaller groups of soldiers arrived on U.S. air force C-17 planes bringing vehicles and equipment on Monday (February 7) and Tuesday.
NATO says Russia has more than 100,000 troops stationed on Ukraine's border, including 30,000 in Belarus for joint military exercises this month.
Russia denies it is planning to invade Ukraine, but says it wants security guarantees that include a promise of no missile deployments near its borders and a scaling back of NATO's military infrastructure.
While the West has ruled out defending Ukraine with military force, it has promised to use an arsenal of tools including arms shipments and reinforcement of nearby NATO countries.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24