Poland probes general who trained Ukrainians

Lieutenant General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski was recalled to Warsaw from his post at the head of the Eurocorps force

The Polish Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that it had recalled the commander of the six-nation Eurocorps military force and opened an investigation into his “personal security clearance.” 

In a statement on its website, the ministry said that intelligence officers had opened a probe “regarding the personal security clearance” of Gromadzinski. The probe turned up “new information” about the general, the statement continued, adding that “a decision was made to dismiss Lt. Gen. Gromadzinski from his position as commander of the Eurocorps” and order his immediate return to Poland.

The ministry offered no further details about the investigation. In a statement, Eurocorps described the recall as “an internal decision of Poland.”

Based in the French city of Strasbourg, Eurocorps comprises troops from six EU nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, and Spain), and carries out peacekeeping and training missions for the UN, EU, and NATO. 

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Before taking over Eurocorps’ two-year rotating command last June, Gromadzinski was an adviser to the chief of general staff of the Polish army. In recent months, he worked with US military personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers in Germany.

His recall came a day after the death of Polish Brigadier General Adam Marczak, who until last September had served at Eurocorps headquarters in Strasbourg. According to the Polish military, Marczak died “unexpectedly” of “natural causes” while off duty in Mons, France.