The army lost anti-tank mines. They were found in the warehouse of the Ikea store

The statement posted on the X platform on Thursday says that “on January 9, 2025, by decision of the Minister of National Defense, the Head of the Support Inspectorate, Maj. Gen. Artur Kępczyński, was dismissed from his position.” The announcement did not provide information on the reasons for this decision.

The spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense announced that the temporary performance of the duties of the Head of the Inspectorate was entrusted to Brig. Piotr Wagner.

General Kępczyński has been temporarily acting as the Head of the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate since April 2021, and became the head of this Inspectorate on November 2, 2021.

The tasks of the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate include, among others: organizing and managing the logistic support system of the Armed Forces, including logistic support for Polish soldiers staying abroad, as well as cooperation with other bodies and entities in matters related to state defense. The inspectorate also performs tasks related to the military's participation in combating natural disasters and eliminating their effects.

The Onet portal wrote that the general's dismissal is related to the fact that the army allegedly lost a load of anti-tank mines transported from Hajnówka (Podlasie) to Mosty (Zachodniopomorskie). Colonel Bartosz Okoniewski, the deputy district prosecutor for military affairs of the District Prosecutor's Office in Poznań, commented on the case in correspondence with TVN24.

“The Military Affairs Department of the Szczecin-Niebuszewo District Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin is conducting preparatory proceedings regarding failure to fulfill obligations in the field of weapons supervision, which resulted in an unintentional – temporary – loss of weapons in the form of anti-tank mines, i.e. a prohibited act under Article 359 of the Penal Code and other “- said the prosecutor.

Article 359 of the Penal Code states that “a soldier who, failing to fulfill his duty or exceeding his powers regarding the protection or supervision of weapons, ammunition, explosives or other means of warfare, causes their loss, even unintentionally, shall be subject to the penalty of military arrest or imprisonment for a term of 3 months.” up to 5 years of age.

Four people were charged. No preventive measures were taken against the suspects.

“During the investigation, extensive evidence was collected. A number of witnesses were interviewed, documentation was secured, and an inspection was carried out. The investigation is ongoing – evidentiary activities are underway to clarify the important circumstances of the case,” said Colonel Bartosz Okoniewski.

According to Onet, mines were circulating around the country in a train carriage for almost two weeks. The portal explained that it started with the order in June 2024 to immediately transport over a thousand tons of mines from Hajnówka to western Poland.

“At the beginning of July, two trains leave Hajnówka for the ammunition depot in Krapkowice. Everything is going smoothly and in accordance with applicable rules,” we read. Later, a third train was loaded and it was with this train that problems arose in Mosty.

“The transport arrives at the site on July 4 at 11.30 p.m. As we hear from military informants, in the case of such a large, oversized load, the manager of the ammunition depot in Mosty or his deputy, as well as one or two warehousemen should be on site. According to our information, The person who accepted the transport from the deputy depot manager in Hajnówka was a guard,” wrote Onet.

“The next day, July 5, the unloading of explosives begins. Lieutenant B was sent from the Military Transport Command in Szczecin to manage the entire operation. The problem is that this officer does not have any training in combat assets, so he has no competence to supervise this type of work,” the portal claims. He also added that “what's more, the vast majority, and perhaps even all, of the soldiers assigned to it from the Voluntary Continuous Military Service do not have similar training.”

The journalists further reported: “On July 6, the soldiers finish unloading. According to our information, the mines remained on the ramp for about five days. On the scheduled date of July 6, the army returns the wagons to the Polish State Railways. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. However, the real problems are still approaching.” .

“On July 16, a warehouseman came to the depot commander, Major Zbigniew Przybylski, and reported that it had just been discovered that five pallets from the transport from Hajnówka were missing from the warehouse,” it was written.

“According to our information, the mines have traveled a long way in the civilian wagon since leaving Mosty. First, they stood for a day at the station in Goleniów in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. They spent the next three days in Szczecin. Then they went to Poznań, and then to Warsaw, Białystok and the settlement of Czeremcha in the Podlaskie Voivodeship – At that time, on the documents that they checked the contents of the wagon, Several auditors from PKP had to sign it – an expert in railway transport informs us,” it added.

PKP Cargo located the wagon in the warehouse of IKEA furniture stores near Orla (Podlaskie Voivodeship). The president of IKEA Industry Poland, Małgorzata Dobies-Turulska, confirmed to Onet that the explosive material had been received from a warehouse belonging to the company.

As Onet reported, the wagon finally returned to a place only 30 kilometers away from the ammunition depot in Hajnówka.

READ ALSO: “Soldiers would have to participate in military operations in tracksuits.” “Shocking” examples