Polish officials say crashed object was likely Russian Kh-101 cruise missile

An airborne object entered Polish airspace early Thursday and crashed in the Lublin province, leaving a 10-meter-wide crater and scattered debris, Polish officials said. The incident occurred at about 03:40 a.m. and was detected by the country's Operational Command. An F-16 fighter was dispatched to intercept, but the object vanished from radar six minutes later. A Mi-24 helicopter later located the probable crash site near Tarnawa-Kolonia, about two kilometres from the nearest buildings, with no reported injuries.

Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, who visited the site, said the evidence points to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile and noted that Poland was prepared to shoot down the missile had it continued its flight. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, also identified the object as a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile that breached NATO airspace.

“In response to a Russian missile of currently unknown type that entered Polish airspace and later crashed into Polish territory — one of many missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine overnight — NATO and Poland activated their air and ground defences,” NATO’s SHAPE spokesperson Col. Martin O’Donnell said.

The incident follows a series of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine that have killed civilians, including eight people in the Dnipro region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. EU Council President António Costa warned that Russia’s aggression threatens European security.