A specially-appointed government panel reinvestigating the Smolensk plane crash in 2010 has again accused Russia of direct interference leading to the tragedy.
The special commission, led by senior PiS politician and former Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, unveiled its findings in a 338-page report on Monday, the state PAP news agency reported.
According to Macierewicz, the 2010 Smolensk air disaster was caused “by an act of illegal interference by the Russian Federation,” as evidenced by “a blast in the left wing of the aircraft.” Two separate reports by Polish and Russian experts previously concluded that the aircraft crashed due to human error amid dense fog.
In comments yesterday, Macierewicz said the panel’s work had been undermined by Russian authorities who “withheld, destroyed and fabricated evidence.” The new report challenges previous findings that the crew of the Tu-154M plane was also at fault in the crash.
The current commission to reinvestigate the crash was set up by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, which came to power in 2015.
The ruling conservatives have long challenged official reports into the crash issued by the previous Polish government, which cited a catalog of errors on the Polish side while also pointing to errors made by Russian staff at the control tower of the Smolensk Military Airport.
Source: Radio Poland, Euronews, PAP
City authorities in Warsaw have confiscated a housing complex controlled by the Russian embassy and will hand it over to refugees from Ukraine.
Monday’s move came after Warsaw’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, announced on March 23 that the city would take over the Russian-held complex in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The housing complex at 100 Sobieskiego Street dates back to the communist era and was once used by Soviet diplomats. Nicknamed “Szpiegowo” or “Spy Town” by Varsovians, the sprawling complex of over 100 flats was later abandoned and fell into disrepair.
Trzaskowski told reporters that Warsaw representatives would inspect the complex to assess “whether it needs to be refurbished or even partially demolished,” adding that many companies had already volunteered to help with repairs and restoration.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Andrii Deshchytsia, said he hoped he would soon be able to plant a Ukrainian flag on the property. “Not by force, like the Russians do, but legally, in coordination with the Polish government and Mayor Trzaskowski,” Deshchytsia told reporters.
He added that the complex could house “a kindergarten, a school, a Ukrainian center, maybe also an office of the Union of Ukrainians in Poland,” as well as “some 50 to 70 flats.”
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
The academic chaplaincy „Górka” and the Dominican monastery at Św. Mikołaj have issued a call for funds and volunteers to support the annual „Easter Breakfast with people in need.”
This year marks the 30th iteration of the event, which has been conducted remotely for the past two years due to the pandemic. From 8:00-11:00 on Easter Sunday, volunteers will serve hot soup and Easter cakes in the square next to St. Mary’s Basilica.
Ukrainian refugees are also invited, and volunteers with Russian or Ukrainian language skills are warmly invited to participate.
The organizers have set up a fundraising drive on the website zrzutka.pl to raise 10,000 zloty by April 13. Funds will be used to host the breakfast and prepare 600 care parcels for those in need, including refugees, those experiencing homelessness, and single mothers with children.
More information on the “Sniadanie Wielkonocne” campaign is available at https://zrzutka.pl/atpy2a.
A reminder that today’s auction to support the “Pomorze Biega i Pomaga Ukrainie” campaign will take place from 10:00-11:00 today during the “Tak, Gramy na Ukrainie” program.
Today’s auction will feature a signed album and book of the Gdańsk-based pop-rock band Kombi. The book “Królowie życia. Kombi, Skawalker, ONA and … Kombii” was written by Kombi bandmates Grzegorz Skawiński and Waldemar Tkaczyk.
Tomorrow’s auction will feature an autographed jersey of the Polish national football team and a ball signed by the players.
More information on the Siepomaga foundation and the „Pomorze Biega i Pomaga Ukrainie” campaign can be found at www.siepomaga.pl/pomorzebiegaipomagaukrainie.
Weather
Today will be mostly sunny, with very little chance of rain and a gentle breeze coming in from the west and north. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with a high around 11°C, or 51°F, dropping to an overnight low of 0°C or 32°F. Warmer weather and more sun are expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain returning later in the week.
EPeck/pb
