Russian Missile Strikes Poland, Prime Minister Calls It “Serious Incident”

Polish authorities reported on Thursday that an unidentified object, likely a Russian missile, violated the country's airspace and crashed near the eastern town of Tarnawa-Kolonia. The impact left a crater about 10 meters in diameter, with debris scattered up to two kilometers from the nearest village. The Polish Operational Command (DORSZ) said it detected the object at 3:40 AM local time moving westward. An F-16 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept it, but the object disappeared from radar before it could be identified. Police have cordoned off the impact zone. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the event a “serious incident” and said the missile was “very likely” a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile used in the war against Ukraine. Tusk suspended his schedule and traveled to the Lublin region to meet with defense officials and military commanders to analyze the wreckage and assess the threat. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha confirmed the missile was a Kh-101 cruise missile launched by Russia. He added that Russia fired about 70 missiles and 280 drones during the overnight attack on Ukraine. This incident follows last year’s incursions of Russian drones into Polish airspace, when at least 23 drones crossed the border, forcing NATO jets to scramble and temporarily closing major airports like Warsaw-Chopin.