Russia’s overnight assault on Ukraine may also have breached Polish airspace, prompting a sharp response from European Council President António Costa. He said the incident once again showed that Russia poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to Europe as a whole.
“My thoughts are with the victims of these attacks. The European Union stands in full solidarity with the Ukrainian and Polish authorities working tirelessly to protect and defend their citizens,” Mr Costa wrote on X. The EU is stepping up support for Ukraine’s air defence, including anti-missile and anti-drone capabilities, he added.
He was reacting to a large-scale overnight Russian attack on Ukraine, during which Polish authorities believe a Russian missile entered the country’s airspace.
Russian missile at Poland’s doorstep
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said all available evidence pointed to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, although officials have yet to confirm its origin conclusively.
The missile came down near the village of Tarnowa Kolonia in eastern Poland. According to the Polish authorities, the incident caused neither casualties nor material damage.
Earlier that morning, the Polish military reported an unidentified object entering the country’s airspace and scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to intercept it. The object disappeared from radar before it could be identified. Troops later discovered a crater around ten metres wide roughly 45 kilometres south of Lublin.
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In response to the incident, NATO and Poland activated their air and ground defenses. NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich stressed that the alliance would continue to take all necessary measures to defend the territory of its member states.
One of the largest attacks in weeks
Russia launched one of its biggest air assaults in recent weeks overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia fired more than 70 missiles and around 280 drones.
Ukrainian officials said the attacks killed at least 13 people and injured dozens more. Among the hardest-hit locations was Kryvyi Rih, where a Russian missile struck a family home. Western Ukraine, including the city of Lviv near the Polish border, also came under heavy attack.
It is not the first time Moscow’s war against Kyiv have spilled over into NATO territory. Poland, Romania and the Baltic states have all repeatedly reported airspace violations involving Russian missiles and drones.
