Współpraca jednostek samorządowych z Wojskami Obrony Terytorialnej na przykładzie pandemii COVID-19 oraz kryzysu migracyjnego wywołanego wojną na Ukrainie .......... 71

COOPERATION BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND THE TERRITORIAL DEFENCE FORCES: THE CASES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE MIGRATION CRISIS CAUSED BY THE WAR IN UKRAINE

Contemporary threats to Poland’s internal and external security extend beyond conventional warfare. Recent years have demonstrated that hybrid threats, pandemics, and migration crises pose equally serious risks, significantly affecting everyday life. Both local government units and Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej [Territorial Defence Forces] are responsible for preventing the destabilisation of daily life at the local level. Effective implementation requires close cooperation between military and civilian actors within a multi-level governance framework. Established in 2017 as the fifth branch of the Polish Armed Forces, the Territorial Defence Forces cooperate with local governments and non-governmental organisations to ensure national security. The COVID-19 pandemic and the mass migration of Ukrainian citizens to and through Poland constituted major logistical challenges that tested this cooperation in practice.