The death of two Poles in an apparent strike by a Russian-made missile is the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine that the war has directly affected Poland and claimed lives, a deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Pawel Jablonski’s comments were made in the wake of the incident at the eastern border village of Przewodow.
Russian forces launched wide-scale missile attacks on Ukraine on Tuesday, chiefly targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.
On Tuesday night, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador, Sergey Andreev.
Speaking on private radio station RMF FM, Jablonski said Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau had demanded an explanation from Moscow’s envoy.
“It is very likely that we are dealing with the consequences of Russia’s actions (…) These consequences have for the first time since the outbreak of the war – it is something we had assumed could occur but it just happened yesterday – affected Poland, Polish territory, and Polish citizens were killed.”
Jablonski said.
Asked about comments by US President Joe Biden that preliminary information contested claims that the missile had originated from Russia, Jablonski called for patience.
“What has appeared in the media is also not always verified,” he said. “The information will – I hope maybe today, maybe at the appropriate time – be made publically available.”
He also warned against Russian disinformation in the matter.
Asked about the possibility of the Russian ambassador being expelled, Jablonski refused to rule out that “something like that might happen.
“These are actions that should be carried out when there is evidence for them,” Jablonski said, adding that in diplomacy it is “sometimes necessary to maintain contact with people, not only those you don’t like but those who represent a state hostile towards us.”
The deputy minister went on to rebut claims that the incident showed Poland is unprepared to defend its airspace, arguing that no air defence system offered 100-per cent cover.
He also dismissed reports that NATO was “overrated” and would not defend Poland as “attempts at disinformation” aimed at weakening support for Ukraine.