Government announces air force reshuffles after Smolensk report

 

Poland dismissed deputy Defense Minister Czeslaw Piatas and 13 high-ranking officers, including 3 generals, in the wake of a report on causes of the last year’s Smolensk plane crash, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told a news briefing.

Piatas will be replaced by Czeslaw Mroczek, a MP from the parliamentary National Defense Committee.
The decision follows a report published on Friday which identified the mistakes by poorly trained pilots as the main cause of the plane crash on April 10, 2010 near Smolensk in Russia, which killed then- President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and around 94 high officials.

Tusk said he was determined to quickly implement the report’s recommendations, which heavily criticized the 36th Special Air Transport Regiment that to date served to transport the country’s most important politicians, such as president, PM and parliamentary leaders.

The Regiment will be dissolved and officials will travel on civilian flights following an agreement with the national airline LOT, he added.
These are the first steps and further decisions, also aimed at rebuilding trust, are due. They will be difficult but I believe the Polish military needs them,” Tusk also said.

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Photo:  PM Donald Tusk (2L), deputy defense minister Marcin Idzik (L), defense minister Tomasz Siemoniak (3L), PO MP Czesław Mroczek (4L) at the meeting with defense ministry’s top officials, Aug. 4