Poland Says Object That Crashed in Southeast Was Not Aimed at Country, PM Tusk Says
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that an object that crashed in southeastern Poland was not aimed at the country, adding that there was no reason to believe Poland was the target. His comments came after an unidentified object was detected in Polish airspace and later found to have left a crater and debris in a field near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia in the Lublin Voivodeship.
Speaking to journalists, Tusk said the object, according to military experts, was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. He acknowledged, however, that the results of a detailed examination of the debris had not yet been received. The prime minister also said the United States was interested in investigating the circumstances of the incident.
According to the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command, the object was detected in the airspace over the southeastern part of the country at 3:40 a.m. local time (1:40 a.m. GMT) on July 30. Later, a crater with a diameter of 10 meters and debris were discovered in a field near Tarnawa-Kolonia.
Tusk made his remarks while opening a meeting of the crisis response headquarters in Lublin, according to a broadcast by TVP Info. He reiterated that the object was likely a Russian missile but stressed that no official confirmation of its origin had been made public yet.
The incident has raised concerns given Poland's proximity to Ukraine and its role as a NATO member. However, Tusk's statement that Poland was not the target sought to downplay immediate threats. The investigation is ongoing, with the US showing interest in the findings.