Russia Denies Reports That Its Missiles Crossed Into Poland

The Pentagon says it cannot corroborate that Russian missiles hit Poland

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday denied reports that its missiles crossed into Poland, calling the accusation a “deliberate provocation.”

Russia launched a massive missile barrage across Ukraine on Tuesday, and a US intelligence source told The Associated Press that Russian missiles hit Poland, killing two people, although the Pentagon said it could not corroborate the claim.

Polish media reports said there were explosions in the Polish town of Przewodow, near the Ukrainian border. The Russian Defense Ministry said that it launched no strikes in the area.

“Polish media reports and official statements about the alleged fall of ‘Russian’ missiles near the Polish settlement of Przewodow are a deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation. The Russian military has conducted no strikes at targets close to the Ukrainian-Polish state border,” the Ministry said, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

When asked about the reports, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the US was looking into the incident. “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,” Ryder said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the missile wreckage seen in Polish media outlets had no relation to Russian weapons. If munitions did fall in Poland and they weren’t Russian, one possibility is that it was Ukrainian air defenses that misfired, but at this point, nothing is confirmed.

The Russian missile barrage across Ukraine was said to be its largest yet since the February 24 invasion and targeted energy infrastructure. Temporary power outages were reported in Moldova as a result, as some of the country’s power grid is connected to Ukraine’s.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.