On Wednesday, the village of Mielnik in the Podlaskie Voivodeship became a scene of dramatic events. A soldier of the 18th Mechanized Division, participating in Operation Safe Podlasie, after voluntarily leaving the camp with a service weapon, fired shots towards a civilian vehicle, after which he took refuge in a close forest.
Operations Command of the Armed Forces Types confirmed the details of the event in the authoritative message: "Today in the afternoon in Mielnik (podlaskie province) a soldier of the 18th Mechanized Division carrying out tasks under Operation Safe Podlase, after self-loathing from the camp area along with service weapons, fired shots towards a civilian vehicle, then took refuge in a close forest".
Minister of National Defence: ‘No indulgence for criminal behaviour’
The incidental was followed by Deputy Prime Minister and National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, expressing a strong condemnation for the actions of the soldier.
"A soldier shooting at a car in Mielnik will bear criminal work and will be expelled immediately," wrote the head of MON on social media. He besides added that "there is no indulgence for specified bandit behavior".
The course of the incident: a dangerous situation on the road
The information received by RMF FM journalists shows that the situation was highly dangerous. A 24-year-old soldier from Przemyśl, serving in the 3rd Battalion of the Podhale Rifles, left the unit in an intoxicated state, taking respective magazines to the Grot rifle. Upon sighting a civilian vehicle, he fired respective shots into the air.
There was a father in the car with a 13-year-old daughter. A frightened girl jumped out of the vehicle, and her father immediately added gas, trying to escape. seemingly annoyed by the movement of the car, the soldier stopped shooting at him. 1 of the bullets hit the back seat where a teenager was a minute earlier. After the incident, the soldier took refuge in the woods, where he was detained by members of the Task Force.
Criminal proceedings: ‘The charge of attempted murder’
The D.A. confirmed that a 24-year-old soldier would be prosecuted for attempted murder. Despite respective hours since the detention, the man has not yet been questioned due to the fact that he remains intoxicated.
The investigation is conducted by the Military Gendarmerie in Białystok, and the full issue is simply a origin of large emotion among the local community.
Conclusions and social responses
The Mielnik event is 1 of the most disturbing incidents involving the military in fresh years. Experts emphasise the request for additional control procedures and systematic verification of the state of psychophysical soldiers, especially those performing tasks in the country. The Ministry of Defence announces the consequences and the introduction of fresh regulations to prevent akin cases in the future.
A soldier shooting at a car in Mielnik will bear criminal work and will be immediately expelled from service. There's no indulgence for specified criminal behavior.
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish (@KosiniakKamish) January 2, 2025
Continued here:
Kosiniak-Kamish spoke on the substance of a soldier firing at the people of Mielnik
