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UPDATE: Polish president appoints new army chiefs

10.10.2023 18:00
Poland’s president on Tuesday appointed Gen. Wiesław Kukuła as the new chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army and Gen. Maciej Klisz as the new Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces, after their predecessors resigned a day earlier.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (centre), Gen. Wiesław Kukuła (left) and Gen. Maciej Klisz (right) at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (centre), Gen. Wiesław Kukuła (left) and Gen. Maciej Klisz (right) at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.X/Office of the President of Poland

Andrzej Duda made the appointments at a ceremony in the presidential palace in Warsaw, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak were among those present at the ceremony.

The president, in his role as the commander-in-chief of the Polish Armed Forces, named Kukuła, a three-star general, as the new chief of the army’s General Staff. 

Kukuła previously served as the general commander of Poland’s armed forces, the PAP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Klisz, a two-star general, was appointed as the new operational commander of the Polish armed forces.

Klisz was previously in charge of Poland’s Territorial Defence Force, the PAP news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, the president accepted the resignations of the previous chief of the General Staff, Gen. Romuald Andrzejczak, and the previous operational commander of the Polish army, Gen. Tomasz Piotrowski, according to officials.

At the appointment ceremony, Duda said the changes came amid "the war that continues beyond our border, caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine."

He added that the situation required “responsible decision making,” as well as “prudent and flexible command” to ensure the security of Polish citizens. 

The president thanked Kukuła and Klisz for helping organise the ongoing evacuation of Polish citizens from war-hit Israel. 

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, Interia.pl, prezydent.pl