The military alliance NATO considers it likely that Poland was hit by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has blamed Russia for the attack.
16.11. 9:58•Updated 16.11. 14:50
A Russian-made missile hit the eastern parts of the country on Tuesday, killing two people. The missile hit the village of Przewodów near the Ukrainian border yesterday at 15:40 local time.
The missile was likely an S-300 anti-aircraft missile launched by Ukraine, Poland’s president Andrzej Duda commented to the press today.
According to Duda, there is no evidence of a deliberate attack on Poland, but the event was probably an “unfortunate accident”.
Earlier on Wednesday, the President of the United States Joe Biden said he thought it unlikely that the missile had been launched from Russia.
Both Ukraine and Russia use S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, but military experts say Russian forces are too far from Poland to carry their missiles there.
Ukraine blames Russia for the attack
Both countries, Russia and Ukraine, have strongly denied that they launched the missile into Poland.
The president of the country Volodymyr Zelenskyi recently blamed Russia for the missile crash.
– Shoot missiles into NATO territory! This is a Russian missile attack on collective security! Zelenskyi commented on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, he characterized the attack as “Russia’s statement to the G20 countries”.
Experts consider a deliberate Russian attack on Poland a very unlikely option. The country belongs to the military alliance NATO.
Russia has denied that it launched the missile and considers the claims a provocation.
– This is an attempt to provoke a direct military conflict between NATO and Russia with all the consequences for the world, commented the head of the Russian UN mission Dmitry Polyansky on Wednesday instant messaging service in Telegram.
The member countries of the military alliance are currently holding an emergency meeting due to the events in Poland.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg according to preliminary findings suggesting that it was a missile launched by the Ukrainian air defense system.
According to the Polish president, it is possible that the country will not invoke NATO’s Article 4 today and demand a military alliance because of the threat to the member country, as previously expected.
Corrected at 10:31 place name to Przewodów.
The story was updated throughout at 12:04 with new information.
The story was updated throughout at 14:40 with new information.
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