A mysterious blast in a quiet field in eastern Poland has sparked fresh alarm along NATO’s eastern edge, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying the object that fell overnight appears to have been a Russian missile.
Authorities discovered a crater and scattered debris in farmland after reports of an explosion, adding to a growing list of airspace incursions in NATO countries bordering Ukraine. Similar incidents in Romania and the Baltic states have heightened fears that Russia’s war could spill beyond Ukraine’s front line.
As Russian airstrikes struck neighbouring Ukraine — killing at least eight people in attacks that reached as far as the western city of Lviv — Poland launched fighter jets to protect its own skies.
Speaking at an emergency meeting, Mr Tusk said early findings pointed to a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile.
“All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but we want to be 100% certain about the type of missile and who launched it,” Mr Tusk told the meeting.
He stressed that Poland faced no immediate danger because the missile came down in an uninhabited area, and said the military was prepared to act if the flight path had continued.
“There was no direct threat because the missile landed in an uninhabited area; we were ready to shoot it down had it continued its flight,” he added.
Later, Mr Tusk travelled to the impact site near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia, a little more than 100km from the Ukrainian border, as investigators worked to confirm what had crossed into Polish territory.
“There is no reason to think the target was Poland,” he said, noting that Ukrainian fighter pilots had tried to intercept missiles approaching the Polish border.
Mr Tusk also reaffirmed Warsaw’s backing for Kyiv, saying his government would weigh further assistance — including additional Patriot systems — even as the two countries have recently faced strain in bilateral ties due to disputes over history.
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Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha earlier said on X that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile had crossed into Poland.
The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he spoke with Mr Tusk about the incident.
“This incident is yet another reckless act by Russia and a dangerous consequence of its war against Ukraine,” Mr Rutte wrote on X.
Poland’s interior ministry said on X that the object carved out a crater about 10 m wide. Local officials said it landed in farmland roughly 2km from residential buildings.
Residents nearby described a sudden jolt in the early hours. Roman Bartoszek, who lives about 4km from where the object fell, said he heard aircraft overhead and felt his windows shake.
Poland’s armed forces operational command reported that an object was detected in Polish airspace at 3.40am local time before vanishing from radar soon afterwards.
An Mi-24 helicopter later flew to the crash site. Police, responding to reports of a loud bang, went to the location and found the crater.
