WARSAW: Polish police chief Jaroslaw Szymczyk revealed on Saturday that a Ukrainian gift which exploded and left him hospitalised with minor injuries earlier this week had been an anti-tank grenade launcher.

Szymczyk met the heads of Ukraine’s police and state emergency services during a visit to the country on December 11 and 12 and returned with a gift from each service, according to RMF radio.

On Saturday, Szymczyk revealed to RMF that the gifts were actually two used grenade launchers, one of which had been turned into a loudspeaker. The Ukrainian side had assured the Polish delegation the weapons were safe, RMF said.

One of the launchers exploded on Wednesday, leaving Szymczyk hospitalised with minor injuries. He has since been discharged.

A civilian employee of the national police headquarters also suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalisation.

“When I was moving the used grenade launchers, which were gifts from the Ukrainians, the explosion happened,” Szymczyk told RMF.

“The blast was intense. The force of the shot punctured the floor and damaged the ceiling.” The interior ministry first reported the explosion on Thursday, without detailing the exact circumstances of the incident or the nature of the gift.

Polish authorities are now probing the incident and considering whether to bring charges.

A conviction for unintentionally causing an explosion threatening the lives of many people is punishable by up to five years in prison in Poland.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2022