Poland claims Russian missile entered its airspace, summons Russian diplomat for talks

(Patria) - Poland summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires and demanded an explanation for the violation of Polish airspace by a missile and the immediate cessation of such activities, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday evening, Reuters reported.

According to data from the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, a Russian missile entered the airspace of the NATO member state on Friday morning. Ukrainian authorities reported a mass attack on various cities across Ukraine during the night.

“On Friday at 7:12 a.m. local time, from the direction of the border with Ukraine, there was a violation of Polish airspace by an object that left Polish territory after less than three minutes,” the Polish General Staff wrote on X.

“We identify it as a Russian guided missile. Throughout the entire time, the missile's trajectory was tracked by radar systems, both Polish and allied. Air defense systems were on alert,” they added.

The RIA Novosti news agency quoted the Russian chargé d'affaires in Warsaw, Andrei Ordash, as saying that Poland had not provided any evidence of a border violation.

Earlier on Friday morning, F-16 fighter jets, two Polish and two American, took off from bases in Poland, along with one allied aerial tanker, due to the activity of Russian long-range aircraft, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces wrote on X.

According to RIA, Ordash said: “I was handed a note that contained an unsubstantiated claim that allegedly on the morning of December 29, an aerial object violated Polish airspace, which Polish experts identified as a Russian guided missile.”

“No evidence was presented. My request for documented proof of what was in the note was refused,” he added.

Poland would react quickly if such an incident were to recur, said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, as reported by the PAP news agency.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with the heads of the military and security services to discuss the incident.