New details emerge about Ukrainian ‘gift’ explosion at Polish police HQ – media

17 Dec, 2022 07:46 / Updated 2 years ago
The weapon had been delivered by a special train running between Poland and Ukraine, Zet radio claim

A grenade launcher that allegedly exploded at a Polish police headquarters, injuring a top commander, had not been subjected to any border or customs checks as it arrived in the country from Ukraine, Poland’s Zet radio has reported.

The weapon had been delivered to Poland by train, which runs between Ukraine and the Polish border town of Przemysl, sources told the outlet on Friday.

“There are still many question marks in this case,” Zet radio has claimed.

Reports of a blast at the Polish police headquarters in Warsaw emerged on Wednesday, with the Interior Ministry soon confirming that the commander-in-chief, General Jaroslaw Szymczyk, had been injured by a “gift” he received from Kiev officials during his recent trip to Ukraine.

The commander and a civilian employee, who was also caught in the blast, escaped with minor injuries while the ceiling of the building was damaged by shrapnel. 

Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said Szymczyk, who is considered a victim in the case, allegedly had no idea what had been presented to him in Ukraine. Poland has demanded explanations from the Ukrainian side over the incident.

Warsaw has been one of Kiev’s main backers since the launch of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in late February. Poland has reportedly donated half of its tanks as well as other weapons to Vladimir Zelensky’s government, with Moscow also saying that Polish mercenaries have been taking part in the hostilities.

Numerous officials from Warsaw, including President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, visited Kiev in recent months to signal their support to their Ukrainian counterparts.