Poland’s NIK urges urgent subordination of WOT to General Staff — Interia
In Poland, the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) recommended urgently placing the Territorial Defence Forces (WOT) under the command of the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. The audit identified a number of irregularities in the training and functioning of the formation, Interia reports.
Audit findings
NIK examined whether the WOT had achieved the capacity to carry out its tasks in 2023–2025. Among other things, auditors assessed the planning of the formation’s development, organizational structures and military equipment. They also examined the conditions for storing and servicing equipment, the conduct of rotational training, the readiness of service members and units for crisis situations, as well as oversight by the minister of national defence.
The audit covered the WOT Command and four brigades: the 16th Lower Silesian, 11th Lesser Poland, 1st Podlaskie and 4th Warmian-Masurian brigades. The formation was established as part of a five-stage project.
The Office also advised checking whether the documents governing the WOT’s activities and deployment are correct, up to date and consistent with one another. Other recommendations include assessing the existing capabilities of individual formations and units, reviewing the principles for the formation’s further development, and improving the system of supervision, control and monitoring of its tasks.
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Transfer to command postponed
The WOT, which are directly subordinate to Poland’s minister of national defence, were planned to be integrated into the overall command system on August 14, 2024, after the formation’s certification in June of that year. However, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces announced that the deadline had been postponed.
The reason was a discussion concerning a new command system that provides for the creation of a Joint Command of the Armed Forces branches. The General Staff noted that transferring the WOT under its authority could require another review if the command system changed. It also referred to the need for legislative amendments and for taking into account certification remarks, primarily regarding brigades formed at the final stage.
At the same time, NIK positively assessed the WOT’s work in peacetime crisis management. More than 15,000 service members of the formation were involved in Operation Phoenix to eliminate the consequences of the 2024 flooding. A significant part of the audit results has not been made public: materials for brigade commanders are classified as restricted, while documents for the WOT commander, the defence minister, and information on the audit results are classified as secret.
