Damian Duda
Alma materKatolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II

Damian Duda is a Polish academic and combat medic who was the former head of the Information Policy Department at the Polish Government Centre for Security..[1]

Career

edit

He is the vice-president of the Legia Akademicka association [2][3].

Since 2014, he has been voluntarily involved in MEDEVAC operations and tactical rescue training on the Ukrainian side during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The beginning of these activities was his expedition to Mariupol in May 2014 to aid the local Polish community (Polonia)[4]

In a subsequent expedition in 2015, together with a group of Polish rescuers, he underwent medical rescue training organized in Kryvyi Rih by the Kryvbas Battalion and Right Sector. He first applied his acquired experience in Pisky, the outskirts of Donetsk airport, where he collaborated with the „Hospitaliers” Medical Battalion. In the following years, he trained personnel in rescue operations from battalions such as Azov or Aidar[4][5].

He also cooperated in this regard with Kurdish fighters in Syrian Rojava and Iraq during their fight against ISIS.[6][7][4][8].

In 2017 he joined the Polish Territorial Defense Forces[4], serving in the 21st Light Infantry Battalion of the 2nd Lublin Territorial Defense Brigade[9].

As a volunteer, he participated in a rescue operation during a storm on Mount Giewont in 2019, for which he was awarded the Bronze Cross of Merit by President Andrzej Duda[10].

Following the outbreak of full-scale war on February 24, 2022, Duda delivered humanitarian aid to the besieged Kyiv, later operating in the vicinity of Mykolaiv, and since December 2022 – in besieged Soledar and Bachmut[11][4][5].

Currently, he operates within the "In the meantime" ("W międzyczasie") foundation, consisting of a group of Polish medics engaged in assisting the Ukrainian side[12].

Personal life

edit

He holds a degree in history, having completed his studies at the Catholic University of Lublin[4]/

Until 2023, he was the head of the Information Policy Department at the Government Centre for Security and its spokesperson[13]

He taught military classes at the 14th High School in Lublin.[14]. Currently, he works at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin[15][12]

Awards and distinctions

edit

Footnotes

edit
  1. ^ Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska (23 January 2023). "On Ukraine's frontlines, Polish paramedic tends to wounded soldiers". Reuters.
  2. ^ Raszewski, Piotr (June 2017). "Legia Mocno Terytorialna" (PDF). Polska Zbrojna. 6: 26.
  3. ^ "STOWARZYSZENIE INSTRUKTORÓW LEGIA AKADEMICKA". rejestr.io.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference ukrinform was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Maciej Szopa (7 October 2022). ""Byli tacy, którym musieliśmy zamknąć oczy". Polscy ratownicy pola walki w Ukrainie". Defence24.
  6. ^ Katarzyna Skałecka (8 May 2018). "Spotkanie autorskie "Życie na krawędzi - oszukać śmierć"". Centrum Prasowe UMCS.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference interia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Christina Schmidt (1 June 2017). "Paramilitärische Gruppen in Polen:Im Dienste ihrer Nation". Taz.
  9. ^ "ZAWSZE GOTOWI, ZAWSZE BLISKO. ŚWIĘTO 2.LUBELSKIEJ BRYGADY OBRONY TERYTORIALNEJ". Fundacja Niepodległości. 24 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Poznaliśmy laureatów XI edycji Nagrody Jana Rodowicza "Anody"". Teologia Polityczna. 2023-10-26.
  11. ^ "Prezydent Zełenski w Lublinie: Dziękuję całej Polsce za nieocenione wsparcie". Gazeta Prawna. 23 June 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Katarzyna Skałecka (25 September 2023). "Odznaczenie od prezydenta Zełenskiego dla Damiana Dudy z UMCS". Centrum Prasowe UMCS.
  13. ^ "Trwają dymisje w Rządowym Centrum Bezpieczeństwa". Rzeczpospolita. 5 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Lublin: Nowy rok szkolny. Z musztrą". Dziennik Wschodni. 3 September 2019.
  15. ^ a b Ihor Kolisnichenko (2 November 2022). "Mgr Damian Duda odznaczony medalem Rady Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego i Obrony Ukrainy". Wydział Politologii i Dziennikarstwa UMCS.
  16. ^ "Medal "Milito pro Christo" dla członków Legii Akademickiej KUL". KUL. 16 April 2014.
  17. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №556/2023 Про відзначення державними нагородами України". president.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 4 September 2023.
  18. ^ Bartłomiej Wypartowicz (24 September 2023). "Duda odznaczony przez prezydenta Zełeńskiego".
  19. ^ "Post Damiana Dudy". twitter.com. 14 May 2024.
  20. ^ ""STAND WITH UKRAINE AWARDS" 2023".
  21. ^ "Laureaci Nagrody im. Jana Rodowicza "Anody" w 2023 roku". 1944.pl (in Polish). 2023-10-29.

Category:Academic staff of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Category:1989 births Category:Ukrainian military personnel of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Category:John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin alumni