Poland Investigates Missile Strike Near Ukrainian Border
Polish authorities are investigating after an armed Russian-made Kh-101 cruise missile entered Polish airspace and crashed in an undeveloped field near Tarnawa-Kolonia, about 57 miles from Ukraine, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. The impact left a crater roughly 33 feet wide, but no casualties were reported.
The missile crossed into Poland early Thursday during a large Russian aerial assault on Ukraine. Tusk said the weapon was probably Russian and thanked European Union and NATO leaders for expressing solidarity and readiness to assist. Polish officials have not indicated that the missile was deliberately aimed at Polish territory.
According to Polish military officials, national and allied surveillance systems had tracked intense Russian long-range aviation activity for several hours. Poland raised the readiness of its air defenses, deployed fighter jets, and activated an airborne early warning aircraft. Radar operators monitored at least a dozen missiles over western Ukraine, including one that approached within about three miles of Poland before changing direction.
At 3:40 a.m. local time, radar detected another object moving westward inside Poland. An F-16 was sent to identify and intercept it, but the object disappeared from radar before visual contact. A military helicopter later found the suspected crash site, and recovery teams secured the area.
The broader Russian attack struck Kyiv, Lviv, and other Ukrainian locations. At least eight people were killed and dozens wounded, according to the BBC. Six members of one family reportedly died near Kryvyi Rih.
The incident has drawn attention because Poland is a NATO member and previous Russian drones and an unarmed missile have landed there since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the event reckless and said alliance defenses were activated. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said authorities were continuing their investigation as search teams examined recovered missile debris.