Polish General and Senator Mirosław Różański Dies at 63 After Illness

Death and official announcements

General Mirosław Różański, former General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces and sitting member of the Senate, died at age 63 overnight between 23 and 24 August 2026. News outlet RMF FM first reported his death on Monday morning, which was subsequently confirmed to the Polish Press Agency by Senator Grzegorz Fedorowicz, the leader of the Nowa Polska-Centrum parliamentary club in the Senate. Różański had been dealing with multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer, about which he had spoken openly in published medical interviews. Senate Marshal Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska announced his death in a statement on social media, offering condolences to his family. At the time of his death in the eleventh Senate term, Różański served as chairman of the Senate National Defence Committee.

A brave and honest man who served Poland has passed away.

Military command and defence reforms

Różański was born on 1 December 1962 in Głogów and dedicated his entire professional working life to the Polish military. In 2009, he was appointed commander of the 11th Lubusz Armoured Cavalry Division and received a formal promotion to the rank of major general. His previous operational service included commanding the 17th Greater Poland Mechanised Brigade as well as completing an operational deployment during the foreign military mission in Iraq. From 2012 to 2013, he served inside the Ministry of National Defence as director of the Department of Strategy and Defence Planning. In addition to his directorial duties, the ministry appointed him as plenipotentiary responsible for drafting and executing the reform of the management, direction, and command system of the Polish Armed Forces.

Leadership as General Commander and state decorations

Różański assumed the position of General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces in 2015, holding the post until his resignation in late 2016, with some parliamentary records listing his tenure through 2017. He reached the rank of lieutenant general (generał broni) during his service. For his decades in uniform and contributions to national defence, he received several domestic and international military decorations. His state honours included the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Military Cross of Merit with Swords, and the Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland. Różański was also awarded the Medal for Merit for National Defence, the Armed Forces in the Service of the Fatherland Medal, the Iraq Star, and Germany's Bundeswehr Cross of Honour in Gold.

Parliamentary work and political reactions

Różański entered the legislative branch in autumn 2023 after winning election to the eleventh Senate term on the Trzecia Droga electoral ticket. In February 2026, following internal reorganisations and the breakup of Polska 2050, he departed the Trzecia Droga group alongside fellow lawmakers to co-found the Nowa Polska-Centrum Senate club. His death prompted tributes across the government and parliament. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz issued a statement acknowledging his lifelong commitment to state security. Senator Ewa Monika Kaliszuk published a tribute recalling his role in military modernisation and his contributions as a parliamentary colleague.

General, thank you for your service, the talks, and our shared concern for Poland. To the Family and Loved Ones, I offer my sincerest condolences. Honour to his memory.