The weapon had been delivered by a special train running between Poland and Ukraine, Zet radio claim
FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of Ukrainian Military Forces holds a hand grenade launcher. © AFP / Anatolii Stepanov
A grenade launcher that exploded at a Polish police headquarters and injured a top commander hadn’t been subjected to any border or customs checks as it arrived to the country from Ukraine, Poland’s Zet radio has reported.
The weapon had been delivered to Poland via a special 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 pointed out.
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 of the force, 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. Meanwhile, the ceiling of a room in the building ended up being pelted with shrapnel.
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According to Zet radio, it remains unclear who will pay for the repairs or whether they’ll be covered by insurance.
Local media reports claimed the “gift” was actually a grenade launcher and that the police chief accidentally discharged it at his office.
Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said Szymczyk, who is considered the victim in the case, 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.
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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.
