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Russian missile lands in Polish field near Ukraine border
🇫🇮 Finland /Conflict & Security

Russian missile lands in Polish field near Ukraine border

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • A Russian missile fell in a field in Tarnawa-Kolonia, Poland, near the Ukrainian border.
  • Polish authorities identified the missile as likely a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.
  • The incident marks the first time a Russian missile has landed on Polish territory during the Ukraine war, raising concerns among locals and prompting an investigation.

A loud noise, described as like thunder, woke Marcin Kowalczyk in the early hours of Thursday in the Polish village of Tarnawa-Kolonia. He felt a pressure, similar to a thunderstorm, and heard the shattering of windows. The sound was not deafening, and he might not have woken if the house doors hadn't been open for ventilation during warm nights.

Soon after the rumble, nearby emergency sirens began to wail, rousing the rest of the household. Initially, it was unclear what the sirens signified or what action should be taken. The sound that had awakened Kowalczyk originated from a missile that had landed about two kilometers away. NATO stated the missile was Russian.

I do not consider this an escalation, perhaps it could be a provocation. But nobody knows for sure. And we cannot see with our own eyes now.

— Marcin KowalczykA local resident describing the missile incident and his uncertainty about its cause.

Kowalczyk, visiting family, speculated it might be a provocation rather than an escalation, but acknowledged the uncertainty. Driven by curiosity, he cycled to the neighboring village of Tarnawa-Kolonia to see if there were any visible signs of the missile or its impact crater in the wheat fields. Reports indicated the missile left a crater approximately ten meters in diameter.

By Thursday evening, authorities had cordoned off the area. Military and police officers guarded the site, located about 400 meters from the impact point. A few other curious individuals, like Adrian Szulc who drove from Warsaw with his son, had also arrived hoping for a glimpse of the crater. Szulc expressed concern, noting Poland's long border with Russia and urging a level of worry similar to that of the Baltic states.

Locals at least have something to talk about.

— Marcin KowalczykA local resident commenting on the impact of the missile incident on the village.

However, the Szulc family was turned away by military police and could not see the crater. They returned to their car via a field path. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported that debris and parts found near the impact site largely pointed to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. This incident is the first confirmed instance of a Russian missile landing on Polish soil during the Ukraine war, though Russian drones have entered Polish airspace previously, and a Ukrainian air defense missile landed in Poland in 2022.

Authorities covered the crater by Thursday evening and returned the land to its owner. The investigation by Polish officials was set to continue on Friday. While some locals expressed concern, the initial uncertainty had subsided by day's end. Farmers had debated whether it was safe to harvest crops, but the worst fears seemed to have faded.

Poland has a long border with Russia. You should be as worried as the Baltic states.

— Adrian SzulcA visitor from Warsaw expressing concern about the proximity of the incident to the Russian border.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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