European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described the crash of a suspected Russian missile in Poland as another “unacceptable violation” of European Union airspace.
“To put an end to this, we are helping Ukraine win this war in every way we can. At the same time, we are building a strong European security architecture on land, at sea, and in the air,” von der Leyen wrote in a post on X.
Her remarks came after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the object which crashed overnight in eastern Poland appears to have been a Russian missile, while Polish authorities continue their investigation to determine its exact identity and the circumstances surrounding its launch.
Tusk visited the crash site and stated that there was no indication Poland had been the intended target.
Initially, the Polish prime minister reported that two missiles had violated Polish airspace overnight, explaining that one quickly turned back toward Ukraine.
However, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz later clarified that only one missile had entered Polish airspace.
Tusk also confirmed that preliminary evidence indicates the projectile was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.
“There is no reason to believe that Poland was the intended target of this missile,” he said.
He added that the Polish Air Force had been prepared to intercept the missile because of the risk that it could strike a populated area.
Tusk also revealed that the United States has expressed interest in participating in the investigation into the incident.
