Polish General Removed from Position Following Discovery of Anti-Tank Mines Near IKEA
A Polish general has been relieved of duty following the discovery of anti-tank mines in proximity to an IKEA warehouse. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A Polish general has been dismissed after soldiers lost track of 240 anti-tank mines, which were later discovered in a train wagon near a warehouse belonging to Swedish furniture retailer IKEA.
On Thursday, the Polish Ministry of Defense announced the removal of Major General Artur Kepczynski, who was in charge of the Support Inspectorate, through a post on X.
While the official statement did not provide specific reasons for his dismissal, local media have linked it to an incident from last July, when soldiers neglected to unload part of a train carrying over 1,000 tons of explosives.
This oversight resulted in the movement of 240 anti-tank mines around the country before they ultimately went missing. Major General Kepczynski, responsible for overseeing the military's logistics support system, reportedly concealed the mishap from his superiors.
The situation reportedly unraveled when staff at the IKEA warehouse reached out to the military to inquire about the collection of their mines.
Malgorzata Dobies-Turulska, CEO of IKEA Industry Poland, confirmed that last July, PKP Cargo reported the existence of a military box in one of the train wagons that arrived at IKEA Industry Orla. She noted that a representative of the freight carrier opened the wagon, and military police retrieved the box on the same day.
The anti-tank mines in question are believed to be MN-123, utilized by the Polish military. These mines are designed to be deployed from vehicles to create minefields of varying densities, aimed at neutralizing enemy vehicles.
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Szczecin-Niebuszewo has been conducting an investigation into the matter since August 2024. Four soldiers face charges of improper supervision of military property, which could result in up to five years in prison.
Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz indicated that several months elapsed between the time he learned of the incident and the general’s resignation. In a Friday interview with RMF FM, he stated that the general had “drawn the consequences he was supposed to draw,” but he added that “more could have been done,” clarifying the decision.
The Defense Minister highlighted the prompt actions of military police and emphasized that “civilian supervision in this matter played a key role.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Thursday, the Polish Ministry of Defense announced the removal of Major General Artur Kepczynski, who was in charge of the Support Inspectorate, through a post on X.
While the official statement did not provide specific reasons for his dismissal, local media have linked it to an incident from last July, when soldiers neglected to unload part of a train carrying over 1,000 tons of explosives.
This oversight resulted in the movement of 240 anti-tank mines around the country before they ultimately went missing. Major General Kepczynski, responsible for overseeing the military's logistics support system, reportedly concealed the mishap from his superiors.
The situation reportedly unraveled when staff at the IKEA warehouse reached out to the military to inquire about the collection of their mines.
Malgorzata Dobies-Turulska, CEO of IKEA Industry Poland, confirmed that last July, PKP Cargo reported the existence of a military box in one of the train wagons that arrived at IKEA Industry Orla. She noted that a representative of the freight carrier opened the wagon, and military police retrieved the box on the same day.
The anti-tank mines in question are believed to be MN-123, utilized by the Polish military. These mines are designed to be deployed from vehicles to create minefields of varying densities, aimed at neutralizing enemy vehicles.
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Szczecin-Niebuszewo has been conducting an investigation into the matter since August 2024. Four soldiers face charges of improper supervision of military property, which could result in up to five years in prison.
Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz indicated that several months elapsed between the time he learned of the incident and the general’s resignation. In a Friday interview with RMF FM, he stated that the general had “drawn the consequences he was supposed to draw,” but he added that “more could have been done,” clarifying the decision.
The Defense Minister highlighted the prompt actions of military police and emphasized that “civilian supervision in this matter played a key role.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
