US says Poland missile fired by Ukraine to counter Russian projectile

Jump to contentSign up to our newslettersSubscribeNewsSportsVoicesCultureLifestyleTravelPremiumCloseZelenskyy hails freedom in Russian-free region of Kherson.mp4 US officials have said the missile that hit Poland on Tuesday was fired by Ukrainian forces in their attempts to shoot down an incoming Russian projectile.Three US officials cited preliminary assessments suggesting the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces during a Russian bombardment on energy infrastructure across Ukraine.Volodymyr Zelensky has directly blamed Russia for the missile explosion in Poland that killed two yesterday evening, saying his own country had warned that Moscow’s terror would not be ‘limited to our national borders’.The US and Western allies are investigating the reports, but have not confirmed that the blast was caused by Russia.Poland is increasing the ‘readiness’ of some military units and aerial surveillance amid reports the explosion was caused by one or more stray Russian missiles, officials said.Earlier, Joe Biden said it seemed ‘unlikely’ that the missile was fired from Russia, but that he would support the Polish investigation.Russia has denied responsibility and called the reports ‘a deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation’.1668589340A senior adviser to Ukraine’s president said on Wednesday that Russia was to blame for any ‘incidents with missiles’ after its invasion of his country.’In my opinion, it is necessary to adhere to only one logic. The war was started and is being waged by Russia. Russia massively attacks Ukraine with cruise missiles,’ Mykhailo Podolyak said in a written statement after US president Joe Biden said a missile that killed two people in Poland was probably not fired from Russia.’Russia has turned the eastern part of the European continent into an unpredictable battlefield. Intent, means of execution, risks, escalation – all this is only Russia. And there can be no other explanation for any incidents with missiles.’Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 09:021668588134Prime minister Rishi Sunak has said Russia’s missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday shows Vladimir Putin’s ‘utter contempt’ for G20 resolutions. ‘While other world leaders were working together, Putin was launching indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Ukraine,’ Mr Sunak said.’This is the cruel and unrelenting reality of Putin’s war,’ he added, which ‘poses a threat to our security and that of our allies.’Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 08:421668587777When asked about the missile strike in Poland potentially provoking the UK to become directly involved in the war, the prime minister said it was important to ‘establish the facts’. Rishi Sunak underlined that this conversation is happening at all due to Russia’s air strikes on Ukraine on Monday. Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 08:361668587579Speaking at the G20 in Bali, Rishi Sunak said he offers his ‘wholehearted support’ to Poland following missile strikes on Monday. He said: ‘We should all be clear. None of this would be happening if it were not for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.’This is the cruel and unrelenting reality of Putin’s war.’Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 08:321668587322Poland’s national security council (BBN) said on Wednesday it will meet again at 11am GMT amid concerns the Ukraine conflict could spill into neighbouring countries after Tuesday’s missile strike that killed two people.’The BBN is currently analysing the arrangements made so far with commanders, service chiefs and allies,’ BBN head Jacek Siewiera said in a post on Twitter.The Polish security council first met on Tuesday night following news of the strike.Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski said his country remained safe thanks to its NATO membership but warned that more incidents were possible.’The reaction of our allies, their unequivocal support and willingness to stand by us, shows that we are a much safer country than if we were not in NATO,’ Jablonski told private radio station RMF FM on Wednesday morning.’As a country bordering Ukraine, we may be exposed to various types of incidents, including accidental ones,’ he added.Poland’s president early on Wednesday said the country had no concrete evidence showing who fired the missile, which struck a Polish grain facility in the village of Przewodow some 6 km (4 miles) from the Ukrainian border.Przewodow is less than 10 km from the power line linking Zamosc in Poland with Dobrotwor in Ukraine. Ukraine was exporting electricity to Poland via the cable until Oct. 11 when flows stopped amid heavy Russian shelling.U.S. President Joe Biden said the missile was probably not fired from Russia.According to U.S. officials, initial findings suggested that the missile that hit Poland was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile, the Associated Press said.Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 08:281668586804Russia’s isolation at this week’s G20 summit in Indonesia was highlighted by a final communique in which the group stated that ‘most members’ condemn its war in Ukraine.The statement concluding the two-day annual gathering was carefully worded to skirt round the dispute which saw Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov blasted by world leaders including Rishi Sunak.There had been concern as the Bali summit began that it would not be possible to agree a statement, because the communiques represent a consensus view and Russia would not sign up to anything criticising its actions.Our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports from Bali:’Most members’ of group condemn war in Ukraine Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 08:201668586204Rishi Sunak said it was too early to have a ‘definitive answer’ to what happened in Poland, Andrew Woodcock reports.But the prime minister added: ‘I think what we do know as a fact is that over the course of yesterday, Russia rained down something like over 80 different missile strikes on the Ukrainian people, on their civilian infrastructure. ‘That is a fact. It’s barbaric, and it’s wrong. And we shouldn’t forget that.’ ‘I think the most important thing to recognise is the reason Ukraine is having to use missiles is to defend its homeland against an illegal and barbaric set of strikes by Russia.’Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 08:101668585604Nato will hold an emergency meeting at 9am (GMT) on Wednesday to discuss an explosion in eastern Poland close to the Ukrainian border that killed two people on Tuesday, two Nato officials and a European diplomat said.The gathering of Nato ambassadors in Brussels will be chaired by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who will hold a news conference around 12.3pm (CET), Nato said in a statement.Nato member Poland has said the rocket killed two people in a village about 6 km (4 miles) from the border with Ukraine.Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 08:001668585304After speaking with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Rishi Sunak said: ‘I think we’re particularly disturbed by the continued barbaric activity of Russia in bombarding the Ukrainian people in their civilian infrastructure,’ our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports.’Together with our allies, we’re all working on the ground to establish the facts of the events overnight.’ Mr Trudeau said: ‘At the moment where we are all gathered here as G20 nations to talk about the impacts of this continued illegal unjustifiable war on the global economy, all of us calling for an end to violence, Russia is stepping it up. ‘So this is a real concern. Obviously, we’re going to continue to stand with Ukraine.’Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 07:551668584644Prime minister Rishi Sunak was woken at 5am local time at the G20 Summit in Indonesia to be told the news from Poland, said Downing Street. He spoke to foreign secretary James Cleverly and defence secretary Ben Wallace on a joint call before phoning Poland’s president Andrzej Duda at around 7.30, our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports.After taking part in an impromptu meeting of Nato and G7 leaders in Bali, Mr Sunak and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau made a video call to Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba. The pair were later expected to speak by video link to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.Maryam Zakir-Hussain16 November 2022 07:44Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inRegistration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inUkraineRussiaVladimir PutinVolodymyr ZelenskyPolandMoscowKyivJoe BidenPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in