NATO chief on Russian missile hitting Poland: "We are strengthening our readiness to defend against any threat"

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has held a phone call with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk after a Russian missile crashed on Polish territory on 30 July.

In the call with Tusk, Rutte stressed that the incident, in which a Russian missile landed in Lublin Voivodeship, is a direct consequence of Russia's war against Ukraine and yet another reckless act by Moscow.

He condemned Russia's strikes across Ukraine on the night of 29-30 July and reaffirmed NATO's continued support for Kyiv.

"NATO continues to provide essential support so Ukraine can defend itself. Our commitment is unwavering," Rutte wrote on X.

The Secretary General added that Poland and NATO activated their air and ground defence assets during the attack.

He expressed solidarity with Poland, adding that the allies will continue to strengthen NATO's readiness to defend against any threat, including missile attacks.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that everything currently indicates that the object that crashed in Lublin Voivodeship was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. The crater left by the missile measures approximately 10 metres in diameter and is 5 metres deep, and the debris is scattered across a 200-metre radius. CCTV footage of the moment when the missile hit has been posted online.

Following the incident, Tusk announced that Warsaw will shortly consider the possibility of sending Ukraine additional missiles for Patriot air defence systems.