Warsaw (Agencies) A Polish general was dismissed last week by the nation’s defense minister after reportedly misplacing a batch of anti-tank mines that were later found in an Ikea warehouse, according to Polish news outlet Onet.
Maj. Gen. Artur K?pczy?ski was fired on January 9 for reasons that were not specified by Polish military officials, though numerous local reports suggested the missing explosives were the catalyst for his dismissal.
In June 2024, a train carrying more than 1,000 tons of explosives was improperly unloaded by Polish troops, who mistakenly left the anti-tank mines to continue their rail-bound journey around the country until they were eventually offloaded in the furniture behemoth’s warehouse.
K?pczy?ski reportedly kept the mishap from his superiors while furnishing subsequent supply reports that featured false numbers. That approach appeared to have worked — at least until an Ikea warehouse representative telephoned military officials and inquired about “when they would collect their mines,” according to one report.
The Polish defense ministry posted on X confirming the dismissal of K?pczy?ski, who was reportedly a lead figure in the service’s logistics support element. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, the report said.