Poland has accused Russia of firing a cruise missile into its territory after a projectile landed about 90 kilometres inside the country during a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine on Thursday.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said initial findings indicate the missile was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. Speaking at an emergency government meeting, he said Poland was prepared to intercept the missile had it continued its flight.
The missile exploded in a field near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia in eastern Poland, leaving a large crater. No casualties were reported, but the incident prompted an immediate military response.
NATO and Poland deployed fighter jets, a refuelling aircraft, an early warning aircraft and a helicopter to monitor the situation. NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus G. Grynkewich, said the alliance would continue to take all necessary measures to protect NATO territory.
Although Poland blamed Russia for the missile, Prime Minister Tusk said there was no indication that Poland had been the intended target.
The incident came as Russia launched one of its largest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens more across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said six members of the same family, including four children, were killed when a ballistic missile destroyed their home in the village of Radushne near Kryvyi Rih. Two other children were rescued alive from the rubble.
In the western city of Lviv, emergency workers pulled a 10-year-old boy from the debris of a residential building struck during the attacks, while rescue operations continued for others believed to be trapped.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the missile that landed in Poland crossed into Polish airspace during Russia’s massive assault on Ukraine.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed it had carried out a large-scale strike using long-range precision weapons launched from land, sea and air, along with attack drones, targeting what it described as Ukrainian military facilities.
According to President Zelensky, Russia fired more than 70 missiles and over 280 attack drones during the assault. He said Ukrainian air defence systems intercepted more than 260 drones despite what he described as a critical shortage of air defence missiles.
The attacks damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure in several regions of Ukraine.
The latest incident marks one of the deepest reported incursions into Polish territory since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In November 2022, a missile landed near the Polish-Ukrainian border, killing two people.
The missile strike occurred just a day after President Zelensky met Prime Minister Tusk in the Polish city of Lublin, where the two leaders discussed regional security and the outcome of Zelensky’s recent visit to the United States.
The latest developments are expected to heighten tensions between Russia and NATO as the war in Ukraine continues.
CREDIT: CNN