At least 2 people were killed in a blast in Poland. (File)
Poland called emergency meetings of its national security council and cabinet today following unconfirmed reports that Russian missiles had landed on its territory near the Ukrainian border.
The government talks come after a wave of missile strikes across Ukraine on Tuesday which plunged seven million homes into darkness just days after a humiliating Russian retreat.
Polish media earlier reported that two people were killed in an explosion at a farm building in the village of Przewodow near the border.
The Associated Press earlier cited a senior US intelligence official as saying the blast was due to Russian missiles crossing into Poland. But the Pentagon said it could not confirm that account.
Russia's defence ministry denied reports that Russian missiles had hit Polish territory, describing them as "a deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation".
Here are the LIVE updates on the Russian Ukraine war:
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West criticizes Russia at U.N. for Ukraine war after missile crash in Poland
The United States and its allies on Wednesday criticized Russia in the United Nations Security Council over missile attacks on Ukraine in a meeting a day after a missile that NATO said was a stray fired by Ukraine's air defenses crashed inside Poland.
Military alliance NATO and member Poland said the missile was probably a stray fired by Ukraine's air defenses and not a Russian strike, easing international fears that the war could widen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy demurred, saying there was no doubt the missile was not Ukrainian.
NATO believes Poland blast an 'accident,' Kyiv assails Russia
Western leaders moved to calm fears of a dangerous escalation in Russia's war in Ukraine Wednesday, saying a missile blast in Poland was likely an accident, while Kyiv pushed back hard at the idea its anti-aircraft fire was to blame.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky pointed the finger at Russia, but the United States, like NATO, came out firmly in support of Warsaw's assessment that the deadly missile was probably fired by Ukraine.
Two people were killed on Tuesday when at least one missile hit a village in NATO member Poland near the Ukrainian border, during a mass Russian bombardment aimed at civilian infrastructure inside Western-backed Ukraine.
Polish president meets CIA Director in Warsaw, says official
Polish President Andrzej Duda met U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns in Warsaw on Wednesday evening, the head of Poland's National Security Bureau said.
"In the evening, President @AndrzejDuda talked with the head of the CIA, William Burns, who is in Warsaw after his visits to Ankara and Kyiv," Jacek Siewiera wrote on Twitter. "The conversation concerned the general security situation, the context of recent events came up."
Russia Summons Polish Envoy After Missile IncidentRussia has summoned the Polish ambassador to Moscow to the foreign ministry, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
Earlier the Kremlin accused Poland of reacting in "absolutely hysterical" fashion to Tuesday's incident when two people were killed by a missile in eastern Poland. Poland and NATO said on Wednesday it was probably a stray rocket fired by Ukraine's air defences and not, as some reports initially suggested, by Russia.
Ukraine Seeks Access To Site Of Poland Missile StrikeUkraine wants access to the site of an explosion in eastern Poland which Western officials say was probably caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile, a senior Ukrainian defence official said on Wednesday.
Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said Ukraine wanted a joint study of Tuesday's incident with its partners and to see the information that provided the basis for its allies' conclusions.
Germany Rejects No-Fly Zone, Could Lead To NATO-Russia ConfrontationEstablishing a no-fly zone would pose a threat of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO, a German government spokesperson said, after a missile blast in Poland near the Ukrainian border killed two people on Tuesday.
The spokesperson rejected this and said, "Together with all our allies we are agreed that we want to avoid a further escalation of this war in Ukraine."
Berlin will offer support to the Polish air defence, a spokesperson for the defence ministry said at a regular news conference on Wednesday.
The NATO meeting following Tuesday's blast was not based on the article 4 of the alliance's founding treaty, under which members can bring any issue of concern for discussion, a foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Polish President Says "Very Likely" Missile Was From Ukraine Air DefencePoland's President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday said it was "very likely" that the deadly missile that struck a Polish border village was from Ukraine's air defence.
"Absolutely nothing indicates that this was an intentional attack on Poland... It's very likely that it was a rocket used in anti-missile defence, meaning that it was used by Ukraine's defence forces," he told reporters.
Germany Offers To Aid Polish Air Patrols After Rocket StrikeGermany said Wednesday it could send its own warplanes to support patrols over Poland following a deadly rocket strike in a village close to the border with Ukraine.
"As an immediate reaction to the incidents in Poland, we will offer to strengthen air policing with combat air patrols over its airspace with German Eurofighters," defence ministry spokesman Christian Thiels said at a regular press conference. "This can happen from tomorrow, if Poland so wishes."
Poland Blast Was Likely Ukraine Air Defence Missile: Belgian Defence MinisterThe explosion that killed two Polish civilians in a village near the Ukraine border was probably caused by Ukrainian air defence units firing at incoming Russian missiles, the Belgian defence minister said Wednesday.
"The missile strikes in Poland last night are being fully investigated by our intelligence service, which is in close contact with NATO partner services," Ludivine Dedonder said in a statement.
"Based on the preliminary information available, the strikes are most likely a result of Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems that were engaged to take Russian missiles out of the sky."
Russia Says Its Strikes In Ukraine Were No Closer Than 35 Km To Polish BorderRussia's defence ministry said on Wednesday that its strikes on Ukraine on November 15 were no closer than 35 km (22 miles) from the Polish border, RIA news agency reported.
NATO member Poland's president said earlier that Poland had no concrete evidence showing who fired a missile that struck a Polish grain facility some 6 km (4 miles) inside the border with Ukraine and killed two people.
A NATO source said U.S President Joe Biden had informed G7 and NATO partners that the blast in Poland had been caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile.
NATO Holds Emergency Talks On Poland Missile Blast: Report
UK, Canada stress importance of full probe into Poland missile strike
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to stress the importance of a full investigation into a missile strike on Poland, Sunak's office said on Wednesday.
"The prime minister and Prime Minister Trudeau emphasised the importance of a full investigation into the circumstances behind missiles falling in Poland yesterday," Sunak's office said, after the two leaders spoke to Zelenskiy from the G20 summit in Indonesia.
Attacks in Ukraine during G20 shows Putin's contempt for international rules: Spain PM
The attacks in Ukraine during the G20 summit in Indonesia this week shows Russian President Vladimir Putin's contempt towards international rules, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday.
Sanchez also entirely blamed Russia for the crises on the food and energy markets in a news conference following the closure of the summit.
China urges calm after Poland missile strikeChina on Wednesday called for calm following a deadly missile strike on a Polish village near the border with war-ravaged Ukraine.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press briefing: "Under the current situation, all relevant parties should stay calm and exercise restraint to avoid escalation of the situation."
Russia's Medvedev says Polish missile incident shows West moving closer to world war
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday that an alleged missile strike on Polish territory showed that the West was moving closer to another World War.
"The incident with the Ukrainian-alleged 'missile strike' on a Polish farm proves just one thing: waging a hybrid war against Russia, the West moves closer to world war," Medvedev wrote on Twitter.
Russia had 'nothing to do with' Poland explosions: Turkey's Erdogan
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he respects Russia's statement that Russian missiles had not hit Polish territory, adding that he believes Moscow had "nothing to do with it."
"Russia saying this has nothing to do with them and (U.S. President Joe) Biden saying these missiles are not Russian-made show that this has nothing to do with Russia," Erdogan said at a news conference during the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
Erdogan said the situation needs to be investigated and that he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he returns to Turkey.
Poland attack attempt to provoke direct military clash: Russia in UN
The incident in Poland, a blast in a village near the border with Ukraine that killed two people, is an attempt to provoke a direct clash between Russia and NATO, the head of the permanent mission of Russia to the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Poland blast caused by missile fired by Ukrainian forces at incoming Russian missile: Report
Initial findings suggest that the missile that hit Poland was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile, news agency Reuters reported citing a report on Wednesday.
France urges 'utmost caution' on origin of Poland strike
France urged "utmost caution" Wednesday on the origin of a deadly missile strike on NATO member Poland, saying many countries in the region have similar weapons, reports AFP.
"It's logical that we approach the question with utmost caution... Many countries have the same kind of weapons, so identifying the type of missile won't necessarily identify who is behind it," a French presidency official said, warning of the "significant risks of escalation."
Poland likely to invoke NATO's Article 4, will raise missile blast with UN
Poland is likely to request consultations under NATO's Article 4 after a missile, reportedly Russian-made, struck Polish territory near the border with Ukraine, and raise the issue at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday, officials said.
Two people were killed in an explosion in a village 6 kilometres (3.5 miles) from the border, with Polish President Andrzej Duda saying that Poland had no conclusive evidence showing who fired the missile.
The incident happened hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy outlined to leaders of G20 nations his peace plan for Ukraine, and after Russia unleashed what Kyiv said was the heaviest wave of missile strikes in nearly nine months of war.
Japan 'deeply concerned' over Poland blast: PM Kishida
apanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended an emergency meeting of G7 advanced economies and NATO member nations held on Wednesday after news of a missile dropped in Poland, Japan's foreign ministry said.
Kishida told the meeting, held in Bali on the sidelines of a G20 summit, that Japan was "very concerned" and watching developments closely, the ministry said in a statement.
NATO, G7 nations offer support to Poland over investigation into blasts
NATO and G7 countries met to discuss the explosions that took place in Poland and offered support and assistance for Poland's ongoing investigation, a statement by the countries said on Wednesday.
The emergency meeting took place after deadly explosions in Poland that Ukraine and Polish authorities said were caused by Russian-made missiles.
US' Blinken calls Polish, Ukrainian counterparts over Poland missile attack
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called his Polish and Ukrainian counterparts on Wednesday after a deadly missile strike in Poland, pledging coordination as "we determine appropriate next steps".
"We pledged to remain closely coordinated in the days ahead as the investigation proceeds and we determine appropriate next steps," Blinken said in a tweet as US President Joe Biden met allies on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali to discuss the blast.
UN chief 'very concerned' over Missile attack in Poland
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is "very concerned" by reports of a missile exploding in Poland, deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that Guterres hopes a thorough investigation will be conducted.
Poland blast may not be from Russian missile, says Joe Biden
The United States and its NATO allies are investigating the blast that killed two in Poland, but early information suggests it may not have been caused by a missile fired from Russia, U.S. President Joe Biden said, reports Reuters.
Biden spoke after global leaders gathered for the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, held an emergency meeting on Wednesday after deadly explosions in Poland that Ukraine and Polish authorities said were caused by Russian-made missiles.
Joe Biden holding emergency meeting with global leaders on Poland blasts
Global leaders gathered for the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, were holding an emergency meeting on Wednesday after deadly explosions in Poland that Ukraine and Polish authorities said were caused by Russian-made missiles, reports Reuters.
The meeting was convened by U.S. President Joe Biden, the White House said, after two people were killed in an explosion in Przewodow, a village in eastern Poland near the border with Ukraine.
Joe Biden offers condolences to Poland's Duda over missile attack
Poland summons Russian envoy over 'missile' incident
The Polish government has summoned the Russian ambassador to the country, claiming that a Russian-made missile fell in the country, killing two citizens.
In a statement, Polish foreign ministry spokesperson Lukasz Jasina has it has demanded "immediate detailed explanations" on the incident.
"On 15 November 2022, another hours-long, massive shelling took place of the entire territory of Ukraine and its critical infrastructure by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. At 3:40 pm, a Russia-made missile dropped on the village of Przewodow, district Hrubieszow, Lubelskie province, and resulted in death of two citizens of the Republic of Poland," the ministry statement said.
Germany 'stands by side' of NATO ally Poland: Chancellor Scholz to Poland President Duda
Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured Polish President Andrej Duda of Germany's solidarity Wednesday after two people were killed in what Warsaw said was a strike by a Russian-made missile.
"The chancellor has just telephoned Polish President Duda and expressed his condolences. Poland will closely investigate the circumstances of the incident in which two citizens were killed last night. Germany stands closely by the side of our NATO partner Poland," Scholz's spokesman tweeted.
No concrete evidence on who fired missile, Poland's Duda says
Poland has no concrete evidence showing who fired the missile that caused an explosion in a village near the Ukrainian border, the president said on Wednesday
"We do not have any conclusive evidence at the moment as to who launched this missile... it was most likely a Russian-made missile, but this is all still under investigation at the moment,"
Andrzej Duda told reporters.
Polish PM urges Poles to keep calm after Russian-made missile hitPolish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki urged Poles to remain calm on Wednesday after a Russian-made missile killed two people in a Polish village near the Ukrainian border.
"I am calling on all Poles to remain calm in the face of this tragedy... We must exercise restraint and caution," Morawiecki said after emergency government meetings in Warsaw.
Joe Biden, NATO chief Stoltenberg hold call over Poland blast: W.House
US President Joe Biden and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg have spoken by telephone, the White House said Tuesday, after a deadly blast in NATO ally Poland which unconfirmed reports said was caused by Russian missiles.
Biden, who earlier spoke with Polish President Andrzej Duda from Bali, where he is attending the G20 summit, wrapped up his call with Stoltenberg at 6:13 am local time (2213 GMT), the White House said.
An emergency meeting of NATO envoys is scheduled for Wednesday to discuss the incident, which Russia has called a "provocation."
Ukraine denies 'conspiracy theory' its missile landed in Poland
Ukraine on Tuesday said that allegations that one of its missiles had landed in Poland were a "conspiracy theory" following unconfirmed reports a Russian missile had landed inside the borders of the NATO member.
"Russia now promotes a conspiracy theory that it was allegedly a missile of Ukrainian air defense that fell on the territory of Poland. This is not true. No one should buy Russian propaganda or amplify its messages," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.
Zelensky offers condolences to Poland's Duda after 'Russian missile terror'
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday during telephone call with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda offered condolences following reports that an alleged Russian missile attack had left two dead in Poland.
"Expressed condolences over the death of Polish citizens from Russian missile terror. We exchanged available information and are clarifying all the facts. Ukraine, Poland, all of Europe and the world must be fully protected from terrorist Russia," Zelensky said in an English-language tweet.
Poland considering NATO Article 4 activation, says spokesman
- Poland is verifying if it needs to request consultations under Article 4 of the NATO military alliance treaty, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, after a report that a blast that killed two people near the Ukrainian border was caused by stray Russian missiles.
The United States and Western allies said they were investigating but could not confirm a report on Tuesday that the blast in the village of Przewodow resulted from stray Russian missiles. Russia's defence ministry denied it.
EU chief calls 'coordination meeting' with EU leaders at G20 over PolandEU chief Charles Michel said Tuesday he would call an emergency meeting of EU leaders at the G20 summit as he assured Poland's premier of the bloc's support over after a deadly blast.
"Just spoke with (Mateusz Morawiecki). Assured him of full EU unity and solidarity in support of Poland. I will propose a coordination meeting on Wednesday with EU leaders attending G20 here in Bali," Michel tweeted.
Polish, US presidents holding talks: Polish presidency
Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke on Tuesday with US President Joe Biden, the Polish presidency said, after reports that two Russian missiles had landed in NATO member Poland.
"The conversation between the US and Polish presidents is ongoing," Polish presidential adviser Jakub Kumoch said on Twitter.
Macron eyes G20 talks over reports Russian missiles hit Poland
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for talks over reports Russian missiles landed in Poland to be held at the G20 summit underway in Indonesia, the Elysee Palace told AFP late Tuesday.
Efforts were underway to "explore the possibility of a discussion tomorrow morning at the level of leaders... given the presence of all our major European partners and our major allied partners at the G20" summit, attended by Macron, the French presidency said.
Belgian PM: We stand with Poland, NATO more united than ever
Belgium strongly condemns the incident leading to a blast on Polish territory on Tuesday, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said, adding his country will stand with Poland.
"We are all part of the NATO family", he said in a tweet.
Firefighters in Poland said earlier two people died in an explosion in Przewodow, a village in eastern Poland near the border with Ukraine.
Poland calls emergency national security council meeting
NATO member Poland called emergency meetings of its national security council and cabinet on Tuesday 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 spokesman Piotr Muller told reporters.
There will also be a cabinet meeting, PAP news agency reported, citing the government.
Pentagon says can't confirm Russian missiles struck inside Poland The Pentagon said on Tuesday it could not confirm reports that Russian missiles have crossed into Poland near the Ukraine border.
"We are aware of the press reports alleging that two Russian missiles have struck a location inside Poland near the Ukraine border. I can tell you that we don't have any information at this time to corroborate those reports and are looking into this further," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told a news briefing.
Pentagon 'looking into' reports Russian missiles hit inside PolandThe Pentagon said on Tuesday it was unable to corroborate media reports that two Russian missiles had landed inside NATO member Poland, but that it was investigating the claims.
"We are aware of the press reports alleging that two Russian missiles have struck a location inside Poland or the Ukraine border," said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder.