"Memory of the Smolensk disaster and its victims should no longer divide us," wrote the Polish Prime Minister on the 15th anniversary of the tragedy his X (formerly Twitter) profile.
"Rebuilding community and mutual respect is possible and necessary, even though it remains very difficult. Let’s try. This is the tribute they deserve. May they rest in peace," appealed the head of the Polish government.
Polish MFA honours victims on 15th anniversary of Smolensk disaster
"Fifteen years ago, the greatest tragedy in modern Polish history took place. Today, we pay tribute to the victims of the Smolensk air disaster, including Mariusz Kazana, Andrzej Kremer, Stanisław Komorowski, and Mariusz Handzlik - members of the foreign service. We honour their memory," stated the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a social media post.
Poland commemorates the 15th anniversary of the air crash in Smolensk, Russia
Thursday marks the 15th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster on April 10, 2010, which claimed the lives of 96 people. The commemorative ceremonies began early in the morning at the Military Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw, at the Smolensk Disaster Memorial.
Warsaw, April 10, 2025. Commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster. Pictured in the center is Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka, standing in front of the symbolic memorial to the victims, including her mother, Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
President Andrzej Duda participated in a mass at the Wawel Cathedral and laid a wreath at the tomb of President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria, located in the Wawel Crypt.
On April 10, 2010, a Tu-154M plane crashed near Smolensk, killing 96 people, including President Kaczyński and his wife, top Polish military commanders, and the last President of Poland-in-exile, Ryszard Kaczorowski.
The Polish delegation was en route to attend a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, a tragic event during World War II in which over 22,000 Polish military officers, intellectuals, and other leaders were executed by the Soviet NKVD (secret police) in 1940, a crime that was only acknowledged by Russia decades later.
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Source: IAR/PAP/X/@donaldtusk/@PolandMFA