NATO says a Russian missile crashed in Poland. Ukrainian jets tried to destroy threats right up the border, Warsaw says.
A Russian cruise missile briefly entered Polish airspace during a large-scale attack on Ukraine before crashing. NATO and Polish forces scrambled aircraft in response, though officials stated there was no evidence of a deliberate attack on Poland.
Why it matters
Incursions into NATO airspace by Russian weaponry heighten the risk of accidental escalation in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Polish F-16s, among other aircraft, were scrambled in response to an airspace incursion on Thursday. Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images A Russian missile violated Polish airspace on Thursday, a NATO official told Business Insider. Ukrainian jets tried to destroy the Russian missiles before any crossed into Poland, Warsaw said. The missile flew for six minutes before crashing roughly 60 miles deep into Poland. Ukrainian fighter jets tried to shoot down Russian missiles near the border with Poland on Thursday; however, at least one breached Polish airspace, Western officials said. US Army Col. Martin O'Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, told Business Insider NATO and Poland activated their air and ground defenses "in response to a Russian missile of currently unknown type that entered Polish airspace" and crashed inside the country.
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