Russian missile lands in Poland as NATO monitors risk of Ukraine war spillover

An object that fell in eastern Poland overnight is believed to be a Russian missile, Polish Prime Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Thursday. The discovery followed reports of an explosion and the finding of a crater and scattered debris in a field near the Ukrainian border.

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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.

The incident occurred as Russia conducted overnight missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, killing at least eight people and striking as far west as Lviv. Poland scrambled fighter jets to secure its airspace amid the heightened tensions.

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There was no direct threat because the missile landed in an uninhabited area; we were ready to shoot it down had it continued its flight.

Tusk stated that all indications point to a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but authorities are working to be "100% certain" of its type and origin. He assured that the missile posed no direct threat as it landed in an uninhabited area and would have been intercepted had it continued its flight. "There was no reason to think the target was Poland," Tusk added, noting that Ukrainian fighter pilots had attempted to shoot down missiles approaching the Polish border.

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There is no reason to think the target was Poland.

NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Alexus G. Grynkewich spoke with Poland's Chief of Defense General Wieslaw Kukulan to discuss the response. A NATO spokesperson affirmed that the alliance "will continue to take all necessary measures to defend NATO territory." The incident marks the latest in a series of airspace incursions in countries on NATO's eastern flank, fueling concerns about the war in Ukraine expanding beyond its borders.

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NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to defend NATO territory.