Patrushev made the remark in an interview with the newspaper Argumenty i Fakty, responding to a recent statement by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
According to Patrushev, if Poland entered military action against Russia, "our country will use the entire arsenal of forces and means at its disposal, and Polish statehood will cease to exist in two or three days." He asserted that Russian armed forces in the war with Ukraine are "by no means using their full potential."
Patrushev accused the Polish minister of a "Russophobic frenzy" and of an "unwillingness to ensure Poland's peaceful existence." In his view, Sikorski assesses Russia's military power "in an amateurish way."
Sikorski spoke at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv. The Polish foreign minister said that "if Russia attacks us, we will start acting without any restrictions and will defeat Russia fairly quickly," citing an "indisputable advantage" in aviation. According to him, the combined defense spending of the Baltic and Northern European countries already exceeds Russia's military budget. Sikorski later clarified that he meant a possible conflict between NATO and Russia.
On September 13, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he expects very intensive military action from Russia in the coming "weeks and months" that could affect the republic's territory. He stressed that Warsaw and its NATO allies must be ready for a joint response.