Fighters were scrambled overnight and allied reconnaissance covered the border as investigators searched the fall site, officials say.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that all indications point to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile hitting within the country. He announced this during a coordination council meeting attended by the defense minister.
Tusk noted that Polish forces were prepared to shoot down the missile if it had continued its flight deeper into the country. The missile fell near the village Tarnawa-Kolonia in the Lublin Voivodeship. No casualties or losses have been reported so far.
“Initial information clearly indicates that the relevant services, first and foremost the army and our pilots, acted very quickly and effectively.”
– Donald Tusk
According to the president, Polish F-16 fighters were operating near the border with Ukraine from around 2:00 a.m., awaiting further orders. Reconnaissance aircraft and allied refueling aircraft were in the air, having taken off from Germany. Ground-based systems were also used, and other observation assets kept watch.
“Across our border – some want to forget about this, or no longer want to see it – a full-scale war continues. It is meters that separate us from this war. This night once again reminds us all that the situation is very serious and poses a threat. The military and the services, however, are ready to ensure the safety of Poland and its citizens.”
– Poland’s Minister of Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
Kosiniak-Kamysz also said that Warsaw informs NATO commanders, and all state bodies – the prime minister and the president – receive regular reports from all services. Prime Minister Tusk noted that as late as the previous evening he met in Lublin with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and discussed close cooperation between Poland and Ukraine in the area of missile defense and air defense in the face of threats from Russia. He stressed that cooperation between the countries will develop regardless of tensions and emotions, and that Poland will continue to support Ukraine from a position of security and solidarity with its allies.
“Today I can say this: the discussion concerned the close cooperation between Poland and Ukraine in the field of missile defense and cooperation in air defense in the face of threats from Russia. The cooperation between Poland and Ukraine in the field of modern missile defense methods will develop regardless of tensions and emotions. When we say that we want to continue helping Ukraine, we are not only guided by solidarity and do not want Russia to win the war, but primarily because this affects Poland’s security.”
What preceded?
Poland experienced an airspace violation on the night of July 30 – during Russia’s large-scale attack on western Ukraine. In response to the aggressor’s actions, Polish fighters were scrambled.
Around 3:40 a.m. an unidentified object moving westward was detected in the country. After initial identification, the object disappeared from radar screens.
The probable impact site was recorded on a field near the Tarnawa-Kolonia village in the Lublin Voivodeship. The police confirmed a crater and scattered fragments around. The area was checked for explosives and radiation threats, and investigators are currently at the scene.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that this was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile that flew over Polish territory and violated NATO airspace.