NATO member Poland holds emergency meetings after suspected missile strikes

Warsaw gathers national security council and cabinet following unconfirmed reports that Russian missiles had landed on its territory near Ukrainian border — claims Moscow rejects as "deliberate provocation".

Smoke rises in the distance, amid reports of two explosions, seen from Nowosiolki, Poland, near the border with Ukraine on November 15, 2022 in this image. (Reuters) 

 

NATO member Poland has called emergency meetings of its national security council and cabinet following unconfirmed reports that Russian missiles had landed on its territory near the Ukrainian border.

"Due to the crisis situation, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki... called a meeting of the National Security Bureau," government spokesperson Piotr Muller told reporters on Tuesday, adding top leaders were holding an emergency meeting due to a "crisis situation."

Warsaw is verifying if it needs to request consultations under Article 4 of the NATO military alliance treaty, Muller said, adding Poland was increasing the readiness of some military units. He also confirmed the deaths of two of its citizens in the explosion.

Russia rejects claims 

Russia rejected unconfirmed reports as "deliberate provocation".

Statements of Polish media and officials about the alleged fall of "Russian" missiles are a "deliberate provocation in order to escalate the situation," Russia said.

Polish government talks come after a wave of missile strikes across Ukraine on Tuesday which plunged seven million homes into darkness.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement that Russia had fired 85 missiles at energy facilities across the country.

"The longer Russia feels this immunity, the more threats there will be against anyone within reach of Russian missiles. Firing missiles at NATO territory is a Russian attack on collective security. This is a very significant escalation. We must act," Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sought an "immediate" NATO summit.

US looking into media reports  

Polish media earlier reported that two people were killed in an explosion at a farm building in the village of Przewodow near the border.

There was no official explanation of what may have caused the blast.

Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder earlier said the US was "looking into" media reports that two Russian missiles had landed inside Poland but was not able to corroborate the reports.

Earlier, Radio Lublin reported that emergency officials and army troops have reached the scene of the explosion in the village of Przewodow in the Lublin district.

The cause of the explosion has not been ascertained yet.

"The causes of this incident are not known at the moment," Marcin Lebiedowicz, spokesperson of the local State Fire Service office, told Radio Lublin.

 

"We have received a report of an explosion at the yard. Upon arrival, we confirm that something like this has happened. Two people died on the spot. At the moment, we are securing the scene of the incident and lighting the area of action," Lebiedowicz added.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies 

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(With input from news agency language)

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