Both NATO and the Warsaw government said the blast, in a Polish town near the Ukrainian border, was likely the result of a Ukrainian air defense missile fired to counter Russian attacks. The missile killed two men in the town of Przewodow, six kilometers from the border, on Tuesday after hitting an agricultural facility. In the midst of a national commotion, Poland put its Army on alert and the world feared a direct involvement of NATO in the Ukrainian conflict, something that, if it materialized, would confront the two main world powers: Russia and the United States. .
Reports
“The incident was probably caused by a missile from the Ukrainian air defense system to defend the country from Russian missiles,” said the secretary general of the military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, after an emergency meeting of NATO ambassadors.
For his part, Polish President Andrzej Duda stated that “there are no indications that it is an intentional attack against Poland” and reiterated that it is “very likely” that the missile was Ukrainian.
Ukraine, which from the outset accused Russia of the shot and demanded “immediate access” to the site of the impact, yesterday reiterated that position.
From Bali -Indonesia-, where the G20 leaders were meeting, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, had also said earlier that it was “unlikely” that the missile had come from Russia.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin insisted, however, that Russia is ultimately politically responsible for the incident. However, the government of Vladimir Putin welcomed the “measured reaction” of Washington.
“The wreckage was categorically identified by Russian specialists as an element of an anti-aircraft guided missile of the S-300 anti-aircraft defense systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“The high-precision strikes were carried out in Ukraine at a distance of more than 35 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border,” it added.
Shock
In the town of Przewodow, the residents were shocked.
“I’m scared. I didn’t sleep all night,” said Anna Magus, a 60-year-old teacher at the village primary school. “I hope it was a stray missile, because if it’s not the case, we’re defenseless,” she added.
Poland held an emergency meeting of its National Security Council on Tuesday and summoned Moscow’s ambassador to give “immediate detailed explanations.” In response, Moscow summoned the Polish ambassador yesterday.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and continues to occupy parts of its territory despite a series of defeats in recent months.
Poland, which shares a 530-kilometre border with Ukraine, has assumed regional leadership by providing military and humanitarian aid to its eastern neighbor and sanctioning Russia.
The conflict causes deep unrest in Poland, where the memory of Soviet rule is still vivid.
Source: Ambito
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