International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The article examines how the specific geographical location of the Kaliningrad Oblast influences Poland’s security. The Russian exclave, situated between Poland and Lithuania and separated by land from the rest of the Russian Federation, is simultaneously one of the most militarised regions in Europe and a logistically vulnerable area exposed to potential blockade by NATO and EU member states.
Drawing on qualitative analysis of strategic documents, expert reports and specialist media from 2022-2025, the study identifies the main military, missile-nuclear, hybrid and economic dimensions of the threats arising from the presence of Russian forces in Kaliningrad.
Particular attention is paid to the Suwałki Gap as a key vulnerability on NATO’s north-eastern flank and to the role of the exclave in Russia’s strategy in the Baltic Sea region. The article argues that, despite Russia’s temporary reduction of forces in Kaliningrad due to the war in Ukraine, the medium-term risk of remilitarisation and further missile deployments remains high. For Poland this implies the need to sustain elevated defence expenditure, strengthen air and missile defence and long-range fires, deepen cooperation with Baltic and Nordic allies, and develop civil resilience, especially in regions bordering the Kaliningrad Oblast

Written heritage constitutes a key component of national identity, historical continuity, and cultural memory, while also performing a strategic function for national security. It encompasses archives, manuscripts, legislative acts, treaties, and digital databases that attest to state legitimacy, institutional continuity, and collective identity. The loss or manipulation of these documents can lead to disinformation, erosion of cultural memory, and compromise of the legal and political legitimacy of the state.
The report considers written heritage as a multifaceted resource with historical, cultural, legal, and innovative value, which strengthens national identity and supports research and educational initiatives. Its protection requires an integrated approach, including physical safeguarding, digital security, legal regulation, institutional coordination, and educational programs.
Vulnerabilities such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, and selective access necessitate the implementation of modern technologies, international standards, and active public engagement. Written heritage should be regarded as a strategic national asset, requiring systematic protection and management to ensure the state’s resilience, sovereignty, and global competitiveness.
The report is under project No. KП-06-H90/6 dated 10.12.2024 on the topic: “Ecologically sustainable conservation strategy for written heritage” from the Scientific Research Fund, Competition for funding of fundamental scientific research – 2024. Supervised by Chief Asst. PhD Eng. Iskra Tsvetanska.

In international scientific circles, with a portfolio in the field of critical infrastructure security, there is consent that the main problem underlying the difficulty in securing critical infrastructure against various types of threats is the lack of a common understanding of what constitutes critical infrastructure. This challenge could hinder coordinated threat assessment, mutual assistance, and the implementation of key partnerships in prevention and response efforts, as intruders often define critical infrastructure based on its potential to cause maximum disruption.
This publication presents in a systematized form some directions in the author’s experience in developing approaches in building key partnerships for optimizing the security of critical infrastructure in the conditions of the QUASAR competence center.

Simulation-based training has seen an increased use of extended reality, that is, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) displays. The health professions have been using VR for simulation-based training more extensively than others. This method can offer the possibility of immediate feedback, which promotes more accurate training to self-correct mistakes in environments that are otherwise risky or provide unsafe conditions. The nuclear industry has attempted to seize the same digital and educational transformation to train their personnel to handle dangerous scenarios.

Intelligence agencies have evolved from covert security instruments into strategic diplomatic actors that influence negotiations, alliances, and international legal processes. This paper explores the role of intelligence in foreign relations, examines its interaction with international law, and analyzes the legal and ethical dilemmas posed by covert diplomacy. Through selected case studies—including Mossad’s backchannel operations prior to the Abraham Accords and the CIA’s Cold War contributions—the study highlights how intelligence can stabilize crises while simultaneously challenging norms of sovereignty and non-intervention. The paper proposes a conceptual model for understanding intelligence as a diplomatic tool within contemporary global governance.

The second decade of the 21st century brought Poland a range of complex challenges in the field of national and international security. Key factors included shifts in the geopolitical environment following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, increased NATO activity on the eastern flank, and the growing importance of hybrid, cyber, and energy-related threats. Poland also faced the need to modernize its armed forces and strengthen state resilience to migration and information crises. The paper analyses the main directions of these challenges and presents the measures undertaken in response, highlighting Poland’s role as a key security actor in the Central and Eastern European region.

Thermal vision, since 2022, has started to be more widely utilized as a tool in security. The Ukrainian conflict showed us how to use it in practice. The article presents lessons from this conflict. The main chapters deal with questions of how thermal vision influences the activities of combat units. The authors are studying this phenomenon from the perspective of the theory of military tactics, supported by their own experiments and experiences.

This paper examines how new security technologies could reshape Bulgaria’s critical infrastructure resilience while simultaneously creating new vulnerabilities and dependencies. Bulgaria’s modernization, pursued through EU and NATO frameworks and supported by initiatives such as the Defense Innovation Center, promises stronger protection against evolving threats. Yet these same pathways embed risks, from reliance on external vendors and standards to design-level weaknesses such as expanded cyber attack surfaces and system complexity. Adopting a prospective, scenario-oriented approach, the paper argues that resilience and dependency develop in parallel, and that anticipating this paradox will be essential for shaping Bulgaria’s future security strategy.

Technology is becoming increasingly important in the maritime sector and is crucial for its future security. Research and development in this area must respond to identified risks and threats to maritime security and be linked to adopted national and international strategies.
Also, focusing scientific activity on prevention by improving capacities in areas such as maritime surveillance and the development of early warning systems will allow for more effective action. This also applies to improving the security and resilience of critical maritime infrastructure such as ports, maritime infrastructure and economic activities dependent on the coastline, as well as energy supply and telecommunications lines laid on the surface of the seabed.
But in order to properly organize scientific activity for the development of technologies and means for the security of maritime critical infrastructure, it is necessary to develop a business model for scientific research and applied scientific developments. It is precisely the presentation of the framework of such a model that is the subject of this paper

This paper examines the prospective role of Bulgaria’s newly established Defense Innovation Center at Sofia Tech Park in strengthening critical infrastructure resilience. Designed in line with NATO and EU standards, the Center is expected to test emerging technologies and develop prototypes, with an initial focus on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and advanced defense systems. The analysis adopts a conceptual approach, outlining potential applications of these dual-use technologies across the energy, communications, cyber, and transport sectors. It also highlights key risks, including funding sustainability, dual-use dilemmas, and continued dependence on external technological ecosystems. By situating the initiative within the broader NATO and EU innovation landscape, the paper underscores both the opportunities and uncertainties of integrating defense-driven innovation into national resilience strategies.

Trust of the police force in key institutions represents a key precondition for coherent functioning of the state and effective law enforcement. This article presents the results of the research mapping the level of institutional trust among Czech members of the police force focusing on their attitudes towards political, judicial, and economic actors. The data, collected through a questionnaire survey among the members of the police force, are interpreted in context and compared with data from international public opinion surveys – the Eurobarometer and the Edelman Trust Barometer. The analysis identifies substantial variations in trust across institutions and media. A consistent pattern emerged, showing that older and longer-serving officers tend to express lower trust in the political regime and the media, yet report higher satisfaction with their income. Gender differences were also observed: female officers are generally less trusting towards business leaders and journalists and display slightly greater support for protest activities. The article offers valuable insights for the theory of social trust and for decision makers in the sphere of public administration and security.

The essence and main characteristics of Electromagnetic Support (ES) are examined, as well as its place in Electromagnetic Warfare (EW). The main elements of ES such as electromagnetic reconnaissance, direction finding and threat warning are examined. A definition and basic terms for software-defined radio (SDR) are given. The architecture and main characteristics of SDR are examined. Has been made a prototype of SDR used in electromagnetic support.