Warsaw has checked emergency water and power supply
Warsaw conducted an exercise to assess the reliability of emergency water and power supplies in the city’s shelters, according to the Polish capital’s mayor.
Following the LGBTQ parade over the weekend, Rafal Trzaskowski ordered a surprise drill of the city’s emergency services on Monday, “just in case.”
“As part of the Warsaw Safety program, we are inspecting critical infrastructure; yesterday all city services held training exercises at the water supply plant to ensure our readiness,” Trzaskowski told reporters on Tuesday. “We are preparing water supplies, preparing warehouses to store additional equipment, such as generators. We must be prepared for any kind of situation.”
Trzaskowski also shared photos from the exercise on X (formerly Twitter), assuring Warsawians that “it’s just a drill,” but emphasizing the city’s commitment to their safety.
Water and power utilities, the police, the firefighters and the military collaborated to test “action scenarios in potential crisis situations,” according to the mayor.
Warsaw, with a population of around 1.8 million, has the capacity to accommodate three million people in its subway system, underground parking garages and other designated shelter spaces. However, the mayor acknowledged that bringing all of these spaces up to standard will require “some more work.”
The emergency drills in Warsaw occurred less than two days after Polish President Andrzej Duda advocated for “decolonizing” Russia by dividing it into smaller countries. He made these remarks during the so-called peace conference on Ukraine in Switzerland.
Duda has also proposed that Poland should host US nuclear weapons, a suggestion that has drawn criticism from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as well as Moscow.
Last week, the US and Poland announced the creation of the Ukraine Communications Group (UCG), an information warfare unit designed to “amplify Ukrainian voices,” and counter alleged “deceptive narratives” from Russia. The UCG will operate under the auspices of the Polish Foreign Ministry.
Warsaw has been a vocal supporter of Kiev, both under the previous government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and since he was replaced by Tusk last December. Poland has served as the logistical hub for almost all deliveries of NATO weapons, equipment, and ammunition to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia intensified in February 2022.