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Missile that left crater deep inside Poland was probably Russian, Polish PM says
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Conflict & Security

Missile that left crater deep inside Poland was probably Russian, Polish PM says

From BBC News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A missile that crashed in eastern Poland, creating a 10-meter crater, was likely Russian, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
  • The incident occurred near the Ukrainian border during a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Lviv.
  • Poland is investigating the missile's type and origin, while confirming there were no casualties and no immediate threat.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Thursday that an object crashing into a field in eastern Poland was likely a Russian missile. The unidentified object created a 10-meter-wide crater near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia, approximately 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, during a large-scale Russian assault on the Ukrainian city of Lviv.

All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but we want to be 100% certain about the type of missile and who launched it.

— Donald TuskPolish Prime Minister stating initial findings about the missile.

"All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but we want to be 100% certain about the type of missile and who launched it," Tusk said during a hastily convened meeting in nearby Lublin. Ukraine's acting Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha had earlier reported that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile had "crossed into Poland as part of Russia's massive strike against Ukraine, violating Nato airspace."

Prime Minister Tusk confirmed he was in contact with European leaders regarding the incident. He reported no casualties but emphasized the seriousness with which the event was being treated. Tusk assured that there was no immediate threat, as the object did not land in a populated area, adding, "We were prepared to shoot it down if it had continued its flight."

crossed into Poland as part of Russia's massive strike against Ukraine, violating Nato airspace.

— Andriy SybihaUkraine's acting Foreign Minister on the missile's trajectory.

Poland's military detected the object around 03:40 local time and dispatched an F-16 fighter jet to intercept it before it disappeared from radar. A military helicopter was subsequently sent to the area. Air raid sirens sounded in cities further south-east due to Russian airstrikes in neighboring Ukraine that killed eight people. Residents in Tarnawa Kolonia reported hearing a loud explosion around 04:00, with police discovering the crash site about an hour later. This incident follows previous instances of Russian drones and an unarmed missile landing in Poland since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Notably, in November 2022, two Polish farmers were killed by a missile believed to be a Ukrainian air defense missile responding to a Russian attack.

We were prepared to shoot it down if it had continued its flight.

— Donald TuskPolish Prime Minister on the response to the missile.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by BBC News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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