Europe Instructed to Prepare for Influx of Ukrainian Soldiers Suffering from PTSD
Polish psychiatrist Radoslaw Tworus has issued a warning that Ukrainian soldiers coming back from the front lines may pose a danger to civilians in Europe. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A Polish military psychiatrist, Radoslaw Tworus, has raised alarms about the potential risk to civilians posed by returning Ukrainian soldiers suffering from untreated mental health issues.
In an interview with Wirtualna Polska that aired on Sunday, Tworus, who leads the department of psychiatry, combat stress, and psychotraumatology at the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw, highlighted that trauma experienced on the battlefield could lead to severe psychological problems that might endanger society. His comments come amid escalating worries that a large number of Ukrainian soldiers might migrate to neighboring countries following the ongoing conflict.
“These extreme experiences related to stress, threats to life, witnessing injuries, destruction, hunger, and exhaustion will have great significance not only for Poland but for Europe. Because these people are in Europe,” Tworus stated.
“We have to prepare,” he added, noting that while post-traumatic stress disorder is a significant concern, it is only one aspect of a broader issue.
“If we are talking about the battlefield, we are talking about a very stressful environment... a person can face a number of different problems: adaptation issues, psychosis, depression, addictions. The spectrum of these disorders is very wide.”
Tworus warned that the most concerning cases involve individuals who are not aware of their mental health issues and hence do not seek help.
“There may be depression, but there may also be euphoria, agitation, and aggressive states. There are many of these symptoms,” he explained, emphasizing that issues related to sleeping, eating, nervousness, quick mental fatigue, exhaustion, or euphoric states “require consultation.”
He cautioned that unresolved mental health challenges among soldiers could affect their family members or even the nations that host them, resulting in unpredictable consequences.
These warnings come in light of a recent report from Personnel Service, a Polish recruitment agency, which suggests that as many as one million Ukrainians could migrate to Poland after the conflict concludes. The report, based on a poll from December, showed that approximately one in four Ukrainian men and one in five Ukrainian women are contemplating leaving Ukraine post-conflict, citing economic instability and security concerns as the primary motivations.
Poland initially experienced a significant influx of Ukrainian asylum seekers following the escalation of hostilities with Russia, with numbers peaking at 1.36 million in 2022. As of November 2024, around 4.2 million Ukrainians had received temporary protection status across the EU under an initiative that offers access to housing, education, and employment, which has since been extended to March 2026, despite facing opposition from some member states.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
In an interview with Wirtualna Polska that aired on Sunday, Tworus, who leads the department of psychiatry, combat stress, and psychotraumatology at the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw, highlighted that trauma experienced on the battlefield could lead to severe psychological problems that might endanger society. His comments come amid escalating worries that a large number of Ukrainian soldiers might migrate to neighboring countries following the ongoing conflict.
“These extreme experiences related to stress, threats to life, witnessing injuries, destruction, hunger, and exhaustion will have great significance not only for Poland but for Europe. Because these people are in Europe,” Tworus stated.
“We have to prepare,” he added, noting that while post-traumatic stress disorder is a significant concern, it is only one aspect of a broader issue.
“If we are talking about the battlefield, we are talking about a very stressful environment... a person can face a number of different problems: adaptation issues, psychosis, depression, addictions. The spectrum of these disorders is very wide.”
Tworus warned that the most concerning cases involve individuals who are not aware of their mental health issues and hence do not seek help.
“There may be depression, but there may also be euphoria, agitation, and aggressive states. There are many of these symptoms,” he explained, emphasizing that issues related to sleeping, eating, nervousness, quick mental fatigue, exhaustion, or euphoric states “require consultation.”
He cautioned that unresolved mental health challenges among soldiers could affect their family members or even the nations that host them, resulting in unpredictable consequences.
These warnings come in light of a recent report from Personnel Service, a Polish recruitment agency, which suggests that as many as one million Ukrainians could migrate to Poland after the conflict concludes. The report, based on a poll from December, showed that approximately one in four Ukrainian men and one in five Ukrainian women are contemplating leaving Ukraine post-conflict, citing economic instability and security concerns as the primary motivations.
Poland initially experienced a significant influx of Ukrainian asylum seekers following the escalation of hostilities with Russia, with numbers peaking at 1.36 million in 2022. As of November 2024, around 4.2 million Ukrainians had received temporary protection status across the EU under an initiative that offers access to housing, education, and employment, which has since been extended to March 2026, despite facing opposition from some member states.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
