In Ukraine, Poland asked Russia to explain why one of its missiles briefly entered Polish airspace during a major missile attack on Ukraine, leading Poland to activate F-16 fighter jets.
This was the third major missile attack on Ukraine by Russia in the past four days, and the second one to hit the capital, Kyiv.
The governor of the Lviv region, Maksym Kozytskyi, stated on the Telegram platform that vital infrastructure was hit, but did not specify what exactly was targeted. There were no reported deaths or injuries.
Subsequently, authorities reported that rescuers had extinguished a fire at a vital infrastructure facility in the Lviv region, which had been attacked with missiles and drones during the night and morning.
The head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhiy Popko, mentioned that Russia used cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers. An air alert in the capital lasted for over two hours as rockets approached Kyiv in groups from the north.
He mentioned that the attacks originated from the Engels district in the Saratov region of Russia.
According to initial data, there were no casualties or damage in the capital, he said.
The Armed Forces Operational Command of Poland, a NATO member, stated that there was a breach of Polish airspace at 4:23 a.m. (0323 GMT) by one of the cruise missiles launched by Russia against towns in western Ukraine.
The object entered near Oserdow, a village in an agricultural region near the border with Ukraine, and remained in Polish airspace for 39 seconds, the statement said. It was not immediately clear if Russia intended for the missile to enter Poland's airspace. Cruise missiles have the ability to alter their course to avoid air defense systems.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz later said in a televised news conference that the Russian missile would have been shot down if there were any signs that it was heading towards a target in Poland.
He mentioned that Polish authorities monitored the attack on Ukraine and were in communication with Ukrainian counterparts. Polish and NATO F-16s were activated as part of the strategic response.
He stated that the missile entered Polish airspace around a mile as Russia targeted the region around Lviv in western Ukraine.
“As last night’s rocket attack on Ukraine was one of the most intense since the beginning of the Russian aggression, all the strategic procedures were launched on time and the object was monitored until it left the Polish airspace,” he said.
On the diplomatic front, the Polish foreign ministry mentioned that it would “demand explanations from the Russian Federation in connection with another violation of the country’s airspace.”
“Above all, we call on the Russian Federation to stop the terrorist air attacks on the inhabitants and territory of Ukraine, end the war, and address the country’s internal problems,” the statement read.
Andrzej Szejna, a deputy foreign minister, explained to the TVN24 broadcaster that the foreign ministry planned to summon the Russian ambassador to Poland and deliver a protest note.
Henryk Zdyb, the leader of the village of Oserdow, mentioned in an interview with the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza that he observed the missile and said it made a whistling sound.
“I observed a fast-moving object in the sky. It was lit up and flying relatively low near the border with Ukraine,” he informed the paper.
Since Russia initiated a large-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, there have been several instances of unauthorized entry into Polish airspace, causing concern in the European Union and NATO member state and reminding people of the proximity of the war.
“We need to accept the reality that the war is happening right next to us, and we are involved in the conflict between the West and Russia,” commentator Artur Bartkiewicz wrote in the Rzeczpospolita newspaper Sunday.
In 2022, two Poles died in a missile explosion. Western officials attributed those deaths to a Ukrainian air defense missile that went off course, but also accused Russia of responsibility because it initiated the war, leading to the Ukrainian missiles being launched in self-defense.
