DEVELOPING: A Russian-produced missile struck the Polish village of Przewodow, 15 miles from Ukraine’s border, killing two people working on a farm, according to a statement by the Polish Foreign Ministry.
According to AP, a senior U.S. intelligence official stated that Russian missiles crossed into Poland.
Speaking to CNN, a Polish official said that nothing is confirmed and that an investigation is ongoing.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, blamed the explosions on Russia and labeled them as an escalation by Moscow in the current conflict.
Two unconfirmed scenarios as to what could have happened are being proposed. The first scenario centers around a deliberate Russian strike on the Polish border village. The reasoning for such a strike is unclear given the village’s general strategic insignificance. The second scenario would be that the missile was shot down over Ukraine by Ukrainian air defenses, with the remains landing in the Polish village.
It is worthwhile to note that the Ukrainian border village of Dobrotvirska, not far from the impact area, is the location of an important electricity line connecting the European Union and Ukraine.
Eastern European states such as Lithuania and Estonia have voiced their support for Poland, with Lithuania’s President saying to the press that “every inch of NATO territory must be defended.”
The Polish response so far has been fairly assertive. Speaking to the press, Poland’s Secretary of State and Head of the National Security Bureau stated that military readiness will be raised across Poland, alongside possibly triggering NATO’s consultative Article IV.
The Polish President has also reportedly spoken with NATO’s General Secretary.
The incident comes on the heels of another wave of Russian missile strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure, in particular its electric grid. The strikes have caused blackouts in not only Ukraine but neighboring Moldova, a state which is not a member of NATO.
The Russian Government has so far denied it attacked Poland with missiles. The Kremlin has labeled the incident as a Western “provocation,” or false flag, in order to provide pretext for futher intervention.
