Codenamed Wolf-Ram-23, the exercise is organised by the Polish police in cooperation with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Ahead of Monday’s drills in the Warsaw subway, the Polish Government Security Centre (RBC) sent out text messages to the city’s residents.
The message read: “This evening, on April 17, police will hold a counterterrorism exercise. There may be disruptions to traffic. Keep calm. Follow the instructions of law enforcement.”
Earlier, Warsaw City Hall said in a statement that the drills were designed “to test and develop the skills of state and city agencies, as well as the transport company, to respond to crisis situations.”
Wolf-Ram-23
The Wolf-Ram-23 counterterrorism exercise is taking place across Poland between Monday and Wednesday, according to officials.
The Warsaw part of the drills was due to take place between 7 p.m. on Monday and 4 a.m. on Tuesday at two of the city’s subway stations, Stare Bielany and Stadion Narodowy (National Stadium), public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
During the exercise, subway service was set to be suspended between the Plac Wilsona and Młociny stations on the M1 line, while subway trains would not be stopping at the Stadion Narodowy station on the M2 line, Warsaw officials said.
Detailed information about changes to traffic due to the Wolf-Ram-23 drills was made available on the website and Facebook page of Warsaw City Hall, the PAP news agency reported.
Practicing response to chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear threats
The spokesman for the Polish police force told reporters: “On Monday, April 17, a command-and-staff crisis-response exercise will begin in Warsaw.”
Inspector Mariusz Ciarka added: “The main aim of the drills is to practice police response to a crisis situation, such as a terror attack related to a chemical, biological, radiation or nuclear threat.”
"The exercise will last until Wednesday, April 19, and ... extend to other regions of the country,” the spokesman said, as quoted by the PAP news agency.
Monday is day 418 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, policja.pl, um.warszawa.pl, metro.waw.pl, infosecurity24.pl