Poland summons Russian ambassador after missile strike

Poland has summoned Russia's ambassador and delivered a formal protest after confirming a Russian cruise missile struck Polish territory on July 30. The incident, which caused no casualties, marks a significant breach of NATO airspace and has drawn swift condemnation from the alliance and European leaders.

The missile, identified as a Russian-made Kh-101, landed in a field in the village of Tarnawa Kolonia in Poland's eastern Lublin region, creating a crater approximately 30 feet wide. Polish authorities stated the projectile was part of a larger overnight barrage of about 70 missiles launched by Russia against Ukraine, with roughly 20 of those projectiles flying toward Poland. Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said Ukrainian air defenses destroyed most of the missiles headed for Poland, but one could not be intercepted.

According to Tomczyk, a Ukrainian fighter pilot tracked the missile toward the border but broke off pursuit about 20 seconds before it would have crossed into Polish airspace, wary of being mistaken for a threat by Polish F-16 jets. Polish forces monitored the missile's trajectory in real time and were prepared to shoot it down.