In a startling development on Friday morning, the head of Poland’s General Staff announced that all signs pointed to a Russian missile entering and exiting the country’s airspace. The incident unfolded in the eastern region of Poland, near the Ukrainian border, where an unidentified flying object was initially detected.
General Wieslaw Kukula, addressing reporters after a National Security Council meeting convened by President Andrzej Duda, disclosed that the missile’s trajectory was closely monitored using radar systems. “We were tracing it with radars; it also left the airspace; we have confirmed it with radars and with Allies,” he stated.
Forces have been dispatched to the identified missile trajectory on the ground to ensure the absence of any technical errors. General Maciej Klisz, the operational commander of the Polish armed forces, provided further details, revealing that the object spent less than three minutes over Polish territory before reentering Ukrainian airspace. The missile, monitored throughout its entire flight path, breached approximately 40 kilometers of Poland’s airspace.
Despite the breach, General Klisz emphasized that no decision had been made regarding the object due to its maneuvers and departure from Polish airspace. He expressed uncertainty about whether the incident was a result of Ukraine’s anti-missile defense, stating, “I have no knowledge on this subject.”
President Andrzej Duda later engaged in a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the incident. Marcin Mastalerek, head of the President’s Office, affirmed that Poland had maintained constant communication with its allies throughout the unfolding situation.
The breach has raised concerns about the security implications in the region, prompting an investigation to ascertain the nature of the incident and its potential consequences. As Poland collaborates with NATO and other allies, the incident remains a focal point of diplomatic discussions and security assessments.