Poland has blamed Russia for firing a missile that left a massive crater in its territory during a widespread attack on Ukraine early Thursday morning.

The explosion occurred at 04:00 in a field near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia, about 80km from the border with Ukraine. The blast shook residents and rattled windows in homes across the area. Police later discovered a 10-metre crater and debris in a field two kilometres from the village.

Analysis points to Russian weapon

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said recovered fragments indicate the weapon was a Russian Kh-101 missile. Speaking at a news conference near the crater site, he told reporters that evidence from the scene points clearly to Russian origin.

“From the analysis of most of the traces, the recovered fragments point to a Russian Kh-101 missile,” Tusk said. “There is no reason to think that Poland was the target.”

The prime minister added that two objects violated Polish airspace. One left physical evidence at the crash site, while the other was detected briefly near the Polish border but produced no consequences.

Poland, a NATO and European Union member, has experienced repeated incursions by missiles and drones since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

NATO activates defence measures

The missile landed during a massive Russian attack on the Lviv region in western Ukraine, close to the Polish border. NATO spokesman Martin O’Donnell confirmed that the alliance and Poland activated air and ground defences in response.

“In response to a Russian missile of currently unknown type that entered Polish airspace and later crashed into Polish territory — one of many missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine overnight — NATO and Poland activated their air and ground defences,” O’Donnell said.

Alliance commanders remained in close contact with Polish authorities about the airspace violation.

Tusk chaired a crisis meeting in Lublin with Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski. Military prosecutors have opened an investigation to determine the exact origin and nature of the explosion.

A Polish F-16 fighter jet scrambled after detecting the missile but lost track of it. Tusk said Polish air defence would have shot down the missile if it had changed course toward populated areas.

International response and regional concerns

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X that the intrusion “reminds us that there is nothing more urgent for our two countries than to counter our common, age-old enemy, which represents a direct threat to both our nations.”

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Tusk on X, saying he condemned “in the strongest possible terms the Russian strikes that killed civilians in Ukraine, as well as the violation of Polish airspace.” He added that support for Ukraine and its allies would not weaken.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote that the Polish people “are famously unafraid” and pledged continued support. “To put an end to this, we are helping Ukraine win this war in every way we can,” she said.

During the night, Russia launched 74 missiles and 284 drones at Ukraine, killing at least eight people.

This is not the first such incident. In November 2022, a Ukrainian air-defence missile fell on the Polish village of Przewodow, killing two people. In September 2025, around 20 Russian drones that entered Polish airspace were shot down or crashed.

Other European states including Romania and Moldova have also been hit by Russian drones and missiles since 2022.

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