NATO comments on violation of Polish airspace by Kh-101 missile

NATO has said it is in close contact with the Polish authorities over an incident involving a Russian Kh-101 missile that violated the country's airspace and crashed in the Lublin Voivodeship.

Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, noted, responding to an enquiry from Polish media outlet Wirtualna Polska, that NATO and Poland activated their air and ground defence systems in response to the violation of Polish airspace by the Russian missile.

"Two NATO fighter jets – Polish F-16s – were scrambled, as well as a NATO-owned Airbus A330 air-to-air refuelling aircraft from the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Unit, a Polish Saab 340 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft and a Polish Mi-24 helicopter," a statement sent to Wirtualna Polska notes.

Wirtualna Polska also learned that on Thursday, Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich spoke by phone with the Chief of the General Staff of Poland's Armed Forces, Wiesław Kukuła.

They discussed NATO and Poland's response to the incident, which remains under investigation.

According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, everything currently indicates that the object that landed in eastern Poland overnight was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the object that fell in Poland was indeed a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.

On the morning of 30 July, Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the country's air defence had endured an "extremely difficult night".