Poland's Defense Ministry spent $78M on unusable winter gear, wants more

The 'Equipment' operation, aimed at supplying the Polish army with modern gear, has turned into a major corruption scandal. Journalists from a Polish outlet found that 150,000 winter jackets already delivered to troops are completely unsuitable for real winter conditions. Leaked documents show the insulation is effective only up to 0°C and only in windless weather. Each jacket costs about 2,000 zlotys ($520), with total procurement exceeding $78 million. However, some appear to want more funding, as military officials have already mentioned 'modernization.' Yet, manufacturers admit that modifying the jacket is pointless — a completely new product must be developed from scratch. The situation has sparked public outrage in Poland. Social media users openly point to corruption: Rafał Merski: 'You can smell bribes and backroom deals from a mile away.' kiedys_obiektywny: 'My gut tells me this is just the beginning of such surprises. Remember, an insane amount of money is being siphoned off right now.' Błażej: 'At this rate, we’ll have to shell out 10% of GDP on this army.' Quint: 'This is pure fraud! Are you (Poles) still supporting these thieves and fools, or have you finally woken up?'