Russian missile entered Polish airspace during attacks on Ukraine

A Russian cruise missile briefly crossed into Polish airspace during an overnight air strike on the western regions of Ukraine, the Polish armed forces said on Sunday.

The missile entered the Polish airspace at 4.23 am (CET) at a speed of 800 kilometres per hour, according to the Polish army, which said it had received signals about the launch of at least 13 Russian bombers carrying the missiles as early as 2am.

“The object entered Polish space near the town of Oserdow (Lublin Voivodeship) and stayed there for 39 seconds,” the army wrote on the X platform. “During the entire flight, it was observed by military radar systems,” it added.

The missile flew about 2 kilometres into Polish airspace before returning to Ukraine, according to army spokesman Jacek Goryszewski. It could have been aimed at Ukraine’s neighbouring regions, the spokesman added.

Poland will demand an explanation from Moscow over the incident, Foreign Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński said in a statement.

The ministry called on the Russian Federation “to stop its terrorist airstrikes against the people and territory of Ukraine and to end the war and address the country’s internal problems.”

In reference to internal problems, the statement did not directly address the latest attack at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, although Euractiv understands that this may be the Polish ministry’s suggestion. On Friday, gunmen opened fire at the concert hall, killing more than 60 people, wounding more than 100 and sparking an inferno.

The spokesman also expressed sympathy for the victims of the Russian bombings and their families. “Poland condemns all forms of terrorism and attempts to revise borders by force,” he stressed.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)