Bomb squad called out as man climbs monument and threatens to blow himself up

A bomb squad was called to a major square in Poland after a man climbed a monument and threatened to blow himself up.

Emergency services rushed to Pilsudski Square in Warsaw this morning after an unidentified man climbed on top of the Smolensk monument, claiming to have a bomb and that he would detonate the device. Authorities put a cordon in place and evacuated people from nearby businesses. According to reports, hotel guests were barred from leaving.

Just after 11.30am local time (10.30am in the UK), BBC Eastern Europe Correspondent Sarah Rainsford published an image of the incident on X - formerly Twitter - saying: "Major police deployment in central Warsaw with reports that this man is claiming he has a bomb. Reasons unclear. Streets around are all blocked off."

The man allegedly threatened to blow himself up (AP)

Police and the Polish military were pictured at the scene. Officers from Warsaw Police said that "for safety reasons, Piłsudski Square and the adjacent area have been closed to traffic. Police officers are on site." People were advised to avoid the area as security operations were carried out. So far, there has been no official confirmation on the man's motive or demands.

According to local media, several hundreds officers rushed to the scene to respond to the incident. "No entrance, there is a bomb," a police officer said at the scene. "At the moment negotiations are going on, on the scene there are negotiators and counter-terrorist officers," a police spokesperson added.

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Ms Rainsford said the bomb scare ended just before 1.40pm local time (12.40pm in the UK) when the man came down from the memorial. The Smolensk memorial commemorates the 96 people who died in a plane crash in Russia on April 10, 2010.

The bomb squad rushed to the square (Twitter)

The man eventually came down (Twitter)

The then President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria were among the victims, along with dozens of other high-ranking military officers, politicians and other officials. Since being erected in 2018, the memorial has become a place of commemoration but also a site of protests against the government.

A police officer at the scene in Warsaw, Poland (AP)

The incident came on the eve of a critical national election. The incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) government is seeking a third consecutive term in office. The party is fighting a challenge from the main opposition coalition led by the former prime minister and European Council president Donald Tusk.