Gen. Mirosław Różański Has Died at 63: Senator and Former Armed Forces Commander Lost His Battle with Cancer

General Mirosław Różański, a senator of the Nowa Polska-Centrum club and former General Commander of the Armed Forces, has passed away at the age of 63 after battling blood cancer.

Battle with Blood Cancer

In a June interview with the NewsMed portal, Gen. Mirosław Różański revealed that he was struggling with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. He noted that the diagnosis shook his world, forcing him to adapt to rigorous demands and limitations that impacted his immunity and daily life.

Emphasizing the importance of openness, the politician argued that professionally active individuals should speak plainly about managing illnesses while maintaining public service and sharing knowledge.

Military Career and Reforms

Mirosław Różański graduated from the Mechanized Infantry Officers School in the 1980s and later earned a doctorate in defense sciences from the National Defense Academy in 2011. Throughout the 1990s, he served in various command and training roles across multiple mechanized units.

As the founder of the Stratpoints Foundation, he initiated significant systemic changes in service and training, including a new sharpshooter training model, the integration of Rosomak armored personnel carriers, and commanding the first fully professional motorized battalion deployed to Afghanistan.

International Missions and Ministry Roles

In 2007, he served as commander of the Brigade Combat Team with soldiers from the 17th Mechanized Brigade during the 8th shift of the Polish Military Contingent in Iraq, conducting operations against insurgents and humanitarian missions in Wasit Province.

Between 2012 and 2013, he acted as chief of the Department of Defense Strategy and Planning at the Ministry of National Defense and later served as the General Commander of the Armed Forces from 2015 to 2017, receiving numerous state and military decorations.

Political Career and Senate Mandate

In 2020, Różański joined Szymon Hołownia’s presidential campaign staff and the expert college of the Poland 2050 movement’s think tank, subsequently winning a Senate mandate in 2023 under the Third Way banner.

Although formally a reserve soldier unaffiliated with a political party, he ended his cooperation with Poland 2050 this year to co-create the Nowa Polska-Centrum Senate Club. His passing triggers a supplementary election in electoral district no. 20.