Poland says Russian rocket likely to have entered its airspace
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The object most likely left Polish airspace after spending less than three minutes over the country's territory.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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WARSAW – A Russian missile appears likely to have entered the airspace of Nato member Poland on Dec 29, a Polish general said, after an unidentified aerial object was spotted in the early morning amid a heavy Russian attack on Ukraine overnight.
General Maciej Klisz, operational commander of Polish armed forces, said the object most likely left Polish airspace after spending less than three minutes over the country’s territory and went back over Ukraine.
“The entire flight path over Polish territory was being monitored,” Gen Klisz told reporters. “At the moment, the scenario that I am recommending is that the missile left Poland’s airspace.”
Russia attacked Ukraine with 158 drones and missiles overnight, aiming for critical infrastructure, industry and military facilities, the Ukrainian military said.
In November 2022, a stray Ukrainian missile struck the Polish village of Przewodow in southern Poland
In April, a military object was found in a forest close to the village of Zamosc near the northern city of Bydgoszcz. It was later reported to be a Russian missile.
Private broadcaster TV Republika had reported on Dec 29 that a search for the object was happening near the town of Hrubieszow in southern Poland. Reuters was unable to immediately confirm this information.
“We received information that an object appeared on the radar near Hrubieszow,” Mr Krzysztof Komorski, governor of the Lublin region, said on X. “We have no confirmation that it fell within our region.”
Polish officials said emergency services, including police and volunteer army units, were scouring the area, but it was unclear whether the object had landed on Polish territory. There were no reports of casualties.
Gen Klisz also said the missile had flown 40km into Poland and that no action was taken against it.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk met army and security services chiefs at around midday (1100 GMT) to discuss the incident.
No proof of border violation, Russian diplomat says
Poland has provided no proof of a border violation that Warsaw said was caused by a Russian missile, Russia’s charge d’affaires in Warsaw was quoted as saying on Dec 29 by the RIA Novosti news agency, after being summoned to Poland’s Foreign Ministry.
“I was handed a note which contained an unsubstantiated claim that allegedly on the morning of Dec 29, an airborne object violated Polish airspace, which Polish specialists identified as a Russian guided missile,” RIA quoted diplomat Andrei Ordash as saying.
“No proof was presented. My request for documented proof of what was in the note was refused.” REUTERS
