On Thursday, August 20, 2026, a meeting was held at the 3rd Podkarpacka Territorial Defence Brigade, during which certificates were presented to participants in the CITISTRA project. The event was attended by representatives of the Territorial Defence Forces Command, soldiers from six Territorial Defence brigades – the 3rd Podkarpacka, 2nd Lubelska, 10th Świętokrzyska, 13th Śląska, 19th Nadbużańska and 20th Przemyska – as well as representatives of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, including Dr. Eng. Renata Kierepko.
Photo: Territorial Defence Force Command
Before measurements began under the CITISTRA project, the soldiers received training in ionizing radiation detection, radiological protection and detector operation. Over a period of 12 months, in their free time outside military service, they carried out measurements using 80 devices provided under the project. The collected data were sent to the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which, as the project coordinator in Poland, was responsible for their verification.
“CITISTRA is an example of how scientific knowledge and soldiers’ experience can complement each other. I would like to thank the project participants for their commitment and the time they devoted to it. This is valuable experience that helps develop soldiers’ skills and may also prove useful in service,” emphasized Col. Michał Małyska, commander of the 3rd Podkarpacka Territorial Defence Brigade.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to thank the soldiers for their commitment and time, as well as representatives of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences for their expertise and cooperation.
“Implementing the project is not only about achieving the objectives we set, but also about gaining valuable experience that we can use to further develop our capabilities. The knowledge acquired and lessons learned will be used to improve the Contamination Detection System of the 3rd Podkarpacka Territorial Defence Brigade, which is operated by the Contamination Analysis Center. This is an important element in strengthening the brigade’s readiness to effectively detect and respond to contamination-related threats, emphasized the project coordinator from the 3rd Podkarpacka Territorial Defence Brigade,” commander of the Contamination Analysis Center.
CITISTRA is an international project implemented in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, aimed at deploying and testing a citizen-based ionizing radiation monitoring system. In Poland, the detector network covers five voivodeships: Silesian, Lesser Poland, Świętokrzyskie, Subcarpathian and Lublin. One of the project’s components also involves sociological research into public awareness and attitudes toward ionizing radiation.
The system is intended to enable rapid identification of local threats and could in the future complement government monitoring of radiation levels.
