A missile which landed in Poland earlier this week, killing two people, was likely an “unfortunate accident”, the country’s president said on Wednesday.
Nato-member Poland initially said the explosion in the village of Przewodow, close to the Ukrainian border, was caused by a Russian-made rocket, and the country’s military was put on high alert.
But on Wednesday, president Andrezej Duda said at a press conference that it was likely not an “intentional attack” and instead an “unfortunate accident”, with the Russian-made rocket being used by the Ukrainian air defence.
Prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki added that while the country was still assessing whether it should launch the Nato Article 4 procedure, it seemed it may not be necessary. Article 4 states that members will consult with each other if the security of one member is threatened.
Their comments came shortly after the Kremlin issued a statement distancing itself from the blast. The Russian defence ministry said: “The photos published in the evening of November 15 in Poland of the wreckage found in the village of Przewodow are unequivocally identified by Russian defence industry specialists as elements of an anti-aircraft guided missile of the S-300 air defence system of the Ukrainian air force.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that “baseless statements” had been made about Russia’s potential involvement and accused some countries of being “hysterical”.
Nato and the G7 leaders also issued a statement, at the G20 summit in Bali, jointly condemning the “barbaric missile attacks that Russia perpetrated on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure on Tuesday”. More than 90 Russian missiles were fired at Ukraine on Tuesday, according to Kyiv, most of which had targeted energy infrastructure.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak, speaking at a press conference in Bali, added: “We should all be clear: none of this would be happening if it were not for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Two Polish farm workers were killed in the explosion.
