Rescue assistance
The Operational Command of the RSZ provided the following through platform X:
Activities under the PKW mediate East are beginning. Polish Air Force aircraft took off from Poland to support the evacuation of Polish citizens from the mediate East.
On Wednesday, Minister of athletics and Tourism Jakub Rutnicki announced that on Thursday morning military aircraft are to leave for Oman. On the same day Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed about the decision to usage military machinery to support the evacuation of Poles from the mediate East and made an appropriate request to president Karol Nawrocki. The military superior issued a resolution on the usage of the Polish Military Quota "The close East" to carry out evacuation actions against Polish citizens residing in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the United arabian Emirates.
According to this decision, a maximum of 150 soldiers may be active in the operation between 5 and 31 March 2026. Their task will be to assist in the evacuation of Poles from the countries of the region, with peculiar emphasis on people requiring medical support. The operation is to be carried out utilizing military aircraft, in cooperation with state institutions liable for the safety of Polish citizens. Operations Command of the Types of Armed Forces is liable for coordinating the full project.
Previously, the national defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that 2 aircraft with military crew would participate in the evacuation of Poles from the mediate East. As he reported, 2 peculiar Boeing 737 aircraft are to be utilized for this mission.
The conflict is getting worse
The decision to evacuate is due to a fast deterioration of the safety situation in the mediate East. On 28 February, the United States, together with Israel, struck Iran. As a result, the highest leader of the state, Ali Chamenei, and another advanced representatives of the Iranian authorities, were killed.
These events sparked a retaliatory reaction from Iran, which carried out attacks on, among others, US military bases in the region. The expanding escalation of the conflict besides caused disruptions in air traffic — many lines decided to cancel connections in that part of the world, which further made it harder for civilians to return to their countries.
