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Poland Will Place German Patriot Missiles on Its Territory

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak attends a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 12, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak attends a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 12, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
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Poland Will Place German Patriot Missiles on Its Territory

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak attends a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 12, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak attends a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 12, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

Poland is preparing to deploy the German Patriot air defense system on its territory, after Berlin refused to place this system in Ukraine, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Twitter.

Germany last month offered Poland the Patriot system to help secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed and killed two people in Poland. Polish Defense Minister later asked Germany to send the fire units to Ukraine instead, Reuters reported.

"After talking to the German Defense Ministry, I was disappointed to accept the decision to reject Ukraine's support.

Deploying the Patriots to western Ukraine would increase the security of Poles and Ukrainians," Blaszczak tweeted on Tuesday evening.

"So we proceed to working arrangements for placing the launchers in Poland and connecting them to our command system," added Blaszczak.

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Türkiye Detains 9 People over Ski Resort Hotel Fire that Killed 76

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya (C) speaks to the media outside a hotel where a fire broke out in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, northwestern Turkey, on January 21, 2025. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya (C) speaks to the media outside a hotel where a fire broke out in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, northwestern Turkey, on January 21, 2025. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)
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Türkiye Detains 9 People over Ski Resort Hotel Fire that Killed 76

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya (C) speaks to the media outside a hotel where a fire broke out in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, northwestern Turkey, on January 21, 2025. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya (C) speaks to the media outside a hotel where a fire broke out in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu, northwestern Turkey, on January 21, 2025. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)

Türkiye has detained nine people, including the owner of the hotel, in connection with a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 76 people and injured dozens at a ski resort in western Türkiye, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said early Wednesday.

Yerlikaya also reported that the bodies of 45 victims had been handed over to their families, while DNA tests were being conducted to identify the remaining bodies at the forensic institute.

The fire occurred at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in the Bolu mountains.

The hotel, where the fire broke out, expressed deep sorrow in a statement on Wednesday and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

"We are cooperating with the authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident," Reuters quoted the statement as saying. "We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts."

The 12-story hotel, which had 238 registered guests, was consumed by flames after the fire started on the restaurant floor around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT). Survivors described scenes of panic as they fled through smoke-filled corridors and jumped from windows to escape.

Authorities are facing growing criticism over the hotel’s safety measures, as survivors reported that no fire alarms went off during the incident. Guests said they had to navigate the smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Wednesday a day of national mourning following the tragedy, which occurred during the peak of the winter tourism season, with many families from Istanbul and Ankara travelling to the Bolu mountains for skiing.