Early yesterday morning, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Polish airspace and crashed in a field near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia in the Lublin Voivodeship, approximately 100 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. The missile left a crater around 10 metres wide in an uninhabited area, approximately two kilometres from the nearest residential buildings. No injuries or property damage were reported.
The missile fell at around 3:40 AM. on Thursday, 30 July, as Russia launched a large-scale wave of missile and drone attacks against cities across Ukraine, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 50. Russia launched more than 70 missiles and over 280 attack drones during the barrage. One of the missiles that fell in the Ukrainian village of Radushne (near Kryvyi Rih) killing up to six civilians in total, is suspected to have been sourced from North Korea.
Poland and NATO activated their air defences and scrambled fighter jets, an attack helicopter and surveillance aircraft in response to the attack. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that there was no indication that Poland had been deliberately targeted, but described the incident as very serious. Polish investigators recovered fragments indicating that the object was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.
This is not the first time that Russian missiles or drones have entered Polish territory. In September 2025, numerous Russian drones violated Polish airspace, prompting Poland to request consultations with its NATO allies under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Romania has also experienced repeated Russian drone incursions. Between 24 and 26 July, Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down three drones that entered the country’s airspace. In a separate incident in May, an explosives-laden Russian drone struck an apartment building in Galați, causing a fire and injuring two people.
Newsroom
Leave a Reply