Poland says Russian ballistic missile violated airspace

Key Points:

• A crater approximately 10 meters in diameter was discovered near Lublin, Poland, likely caused by a Russian missile during Moscow’s overnight bombing campaign on Ukraine, marking a violation of Polish airspace.
• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, along with defense and interior ministers, visited the site and confirmed the incident is under thorough investigation, with initial indications pointing to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.
• Polish military scrambled an F-16 after radar detected the airspace violation, and NATO activated its air and ground defenses in response to the missile entering Polish territory.
• Ukraine’s Foreign Minister emphasized the urgency of strengthening Ukraine’s air defense to protect the broader Euro-Atlantic community amid repeated airspace violations by Russian forces.
• NATO remains in close contact with Poland, with its Supreme Allied Commander Europe affirming the alliance’s commitment to defending NATO territory and continuing investigations into the incident.