Exploding grenade launcher a present from Ukraine, Polish police chief says By Reuters

WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland’s prime policeman mentioned that an explosion in his workplace was attributable to a grenade launcher, telling personal broadcaster RMF FM that he had acquired two of the weapons as a present from Ukraine.

Poland’s inside ministry and prosecutor’s workplace had not beforehand confirmed media stories that the explosion on Wednesday, at police headquarters in Warsaw, was attributable to a grenade launcher.

Prosecutors mentioned they have been investigating the blast, which resulted in Police Commander in Chief Jaroslaw Szymczyk being taken to hospital.

“After I was transferring the used grenade launchers, which have been items from the Ukrainians, there was an explosion,” Szymczyk advised RMF FM.

He mentioned he was transferring the launchers into an upright place on the time.

RMF cited a supply from a Polish delegation that visited Ukraine as saying Szymczyk had acquired two launchers from officers as presents throughout visits to the police and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

The officers had assured the Polish delegation that the launchers weren’t loaded, and the delegation took them again to Warsaw by automobile earlier than leaving them within the again room of Szymczyk’s workplace, the supply advised RMF.

Reuters was unable to independently verify this model of occasions. Ukrainian police and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. A Polish police spokesman couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.

Szymczyk has been criticised over the incident, with commentators with backgrounds within the safety providers cited by Polish media as saying that navy gear mustn’t have been taken into Poland from exterior the European Union or taken into an workplace.