Unexploded ordnance found in central Warsaw: Police cordon off area as military sappers remove artillery shell

On Tuesday, August 4, workers replacing tram tracks on “Solidarności” Avenue in Warsaw discovered an artillery shell, prompting police cordons and a military bomb disposal operation.

Discovery of the Shell During Track Replacement Work

On Tuesday, August 4, during tram track replacement work on “Solidarności” Avenue in Warsaw, an unexploded ordnance was found. The artillery shell was secured and removed by military sappers, while the street and sidewalks near the intersection with Orla Street were closed during the operations.

The discovery took place at around 8 AM near building number 101, close to the intersection of “Solidarności” Avenue and Orla Street. Workers performing tram track replacement work came across an object resembling unexploded ordnance and notified the authorities.

Police Inspection and Traffic Disruption

Police officers were dispatched to the scene and confirmed the finding. Police pyrotechnicians preliminarily classified the item as an artillery shell, which measured approximately 60 to 70 centimeters in length and about 30 centimeters in diameter.

For safety reasons, “Solidarności” Avenue was closed in both directions between Bankowy Square and Jana Pawła II Avenue, and public transport was rerouted.

Military Sappers Intervention and Area Cordon

At around 1:30 PM, military sappers arrived at the location. The area was cordoned off within a radius of approximately 100 meters from the shell’s location, halting the passage of all vehicles, including emergency vehicles, and closing sidewalks along “Solidarności” Avenue to prevent pedestrian access.

Additional police officers from riot units were deployed to secure the area and ensure unauthorized individuals stayed away from the ongoing operations.

Removal of the Ordinance and Resumption of Traffic

At around 2:30 PM, sappers recovered the unexploded ordnance, secured it, and placed it in a military truck. They then used a metal detector to thoroughly search the trackbed to check for any other hazardous objects in the ground.

Operations concluded at around 3 PM. After inspecting the area, police removed the security barriers, and vehicle and pedestrian traffic on “Solidarności” Avenue was restored.