Explosion on Polish Eastern border likely due to 'Russian missile': PM Tusk

AFP , Thursday 30 Jul 2026

Polish authorities said Thursday that a 10 metre (33 feet) wide crater had been left by an explosion, likely of a Russian missile, in an eastern region bordering Ukraine.

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File photo - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. AFP

At a press conference at the scene, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the missile that caused the explosion was likely a Russian Kh-101.

"From the analysis of most of the traces, the recovered fragments point to a Russian Kh-101 missile," he said.

Residents of Tarnawa Kolonia, near Lublin, reported hearing an explosion at about 4:00 am (0200 GMT) that shook the windows of their homes as Russia staged new missile attacks on neighbouring Ukraine, said a police statement.

Polish authorities did not immediately give the cause of the crater but it took place as Russia stage a massive new attack on the Lviv region in western Ukraine, near the border with Poland.

Polish military prosecutors were investigating, authorities said. But Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said on X that "Overnight, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Poland as part of Russia's massive strike against Ukraine, violating NATO airspace."

EU council president Antonio Costa also said that Polish airspace had been "violated" during the missile and drone strike.

Police said they went to the field about two kilometres from the residents' homes and found a 10-metre wide "crater" and "debris from a non-identified object".

The armed forces command said that an Mi-24 helicopter flew over the scene and reported "the probable impact place of the object on unbuilt land".

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