As a result, the Polish army launched an initiative to attract young people and rigorously train them to protect their homeland against potential aggression from Russia.

"Vacations with the Army" is a 28-day training camp that offers basic training to Poles over the age of 18, many of whom are recent high school graduates. According to officials, participants will be paid 6,000 zlotys (1400 EUR).

The army introduced this program in search of recruits, as Poland expands its 198,000-member military in response to Russia's aggression in neighboring Ukraine and growing fears that it could extend further across the continent.

The program, which takes place at 70 locations across Poland, has generated significant interest, officials say.

The large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 sparked a drive among Poles to want to defend their nation, said Major Michal Tomczyk, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense.

"We haven't faced such a threat since World War II", said Tomczyk, according to Euronews. He also mentioned that they scheduled 10,000 volunteers for training and ended up with over 11,000.

At the end of the training, volunteers will take a soldier's oath, pledging "to loyally serve the Republic of Poland... even at the cost of life or blood".

Those who choose a military career can join a branch of the professional armed services or the Territorial Defense Forces, or remain as reservists, said Colonel Pawel Galazka, commander of the 18th Logistics Regiment in Lomza, a unit that trains volunteers.

"The army wants to train as many citizens as possible", said Galazka. "Everyone knows about the threat coming from the east".

Stray missiles and hybrid warfare

Russia's seizure of Ukrainian territory in 2014 caused regional unease. And its full-scale invasion prompted a major security reshuffle from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, forcing nations to consider the prospect of one day taking up arms.

Sweden and Finland broke their neutrality to join NATO, and some countries are considering introducing mandatory conscription. Denmark announced plans to expand its military program to include women.

In Poland, a member of both NATO and the European Union, the threat feels close. Some stray Russian missiles have landed in Poland.

At the border with Belarus, a Russian ally, migrants arrive in large numbers every day and recently attacked Polish officials, killing a soldier. Warsaw claims that the migration pressure was created by Russia and Belarus, and considers it a form of hybrid warfare against the West.

"Russians and Belarusians have staged an assault on our border", said Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski at a recent international conference in Berlin dedicated to Ukraine's recovery.

Russian officials have repeatedly threatened Poland. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and ally of President Vladimir Putin, called Poland a "dangerous enemy" that risks losing its statehood.

Along Poland's northern border lies the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, where Poland believes Moscow stores approximately 100 tactical nuclear warheads.

Poles must think about what could happen and be prepared, said Magdalena Klos, 34, one of the volunteers.

She had long dreamed of becoming a soldier, but was waiting for her children to be old enough. They are now 9 and 11 years old, and she feels the time is finally right.

"I am proud to wear the uniform", she said. "I am not just a mother and a wife, but also a soldier".