The death of Ivan the Terrible’s son Fyodor in 1598 was followed by Russia’s Time of Troubles, lasting 15 years. The Poles and Jesuits tried to set up a puppet Catholic regime in Moscow with a series of frauds - each claiming to be Dmitry, another of Ivan’s dead sons. 
16th century Poles had extensive experience on Western battlefields. They employed substantial numbers of Germans, Czechs, Scots, & Hungarians in their armies. Even some Russians served Poland - 10% of the Cossacks on the 1581 registry were Russians.
Poland-Lithuania suffered numerous Crimean Tatar raids in the 16th century. The raids ranged as far north as Vilnius.
In 1564 the Swedes attempted to exterminate all the Danes living in Norway, clearing the way for Swedish colonization.
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