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Russian Missile Violates Polish Airspace, NATO Responds
Confirmed
In Short: NATO scrambled fighter jets in response to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile that entered Polish airspace and exploded near Tarnawa, prompting a wide crater.
An armed Russian Kh-101 cruise missile entered Polish airspace around Lublin, prompting NATO to scramble fighter jets in response to the sighting. The missile later exploded in the countryside near Tarnawa, creating a wide crater.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed the missile was Russian and stated, 'Everything indicates that it was a Russian missile.' NATO and Poland activated their air and ground defenses in response to the violation of airspace.
Polish authorities reported that the explosion had created a 10-meter wide crater in the eastern village of Tarnawa-Kolonia, about 50 miles from the Ukrainian border. The missile was part of a barrage of attacks on Ukraine that killed at least eight civilians and injured more than 50.
Poland and NATO have been regularly detecting violations of their airspace by Russian missiles and drones. In May, Estonia and Latvia reported similar incursions, and Romania has reported repeated incursions by stray drones into its airspace. NATO and Polish authorities are in close contact regarding the incident.
What's confirmed
- Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that it was “a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile” that violated NATO airspace.
What's still developing
- The missile, which entered Polish airspace early on Thursday, was part of a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones launched by Russia against Ukraine overnight, killing at least eight civilians, including children,…
- NATO members, including Poland, launched F-16 jets in response to the sighting of the missile, as well as an aerial refuelling aircraft and an airborne early warning plane, a spokesperson for the alliance said.
- Polish authorities said the explosion had created a wide crater in the eastern village of Tarnawa-Kolonia.
- “Poland and NATO activated their air and ground defences,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on social media.
- “Everything indicates” that it was a Russian missile, he said.
- Romania has reported repeated incursions by stray drones into its airspace.
- In May, Estonia and Latvia reported drones entering their airspace from Russia.
- It has also regularly detected violations of its airspace by Russian missiles and drones.