Suspected Russian missile attack kills two in Poland

Biden says trajectory suggests missiles not fired from Russia

- BEL TREW LIAM JAMES

Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian missiles hit Nato member Poland yesterday in what he called a “significant escalation” of the conflict as dozens more caused destruction and power outages across Ukraine.

US and other western officials were investigating explosions at a grain store in Przewodow, Lublin, in which two people were killed.

Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki called an urgent meeting of the country’s security and defence councils.

“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, president of Poland, told reporters. The Polish foreign ministry had earlier said that a Russian-made rocket had fallen on the village.

Mr Duda said that it was very likely that Poland would request consultations under Article 4 of the Nato military alliance following the blast. Our ambassador will be attending the meeting of the North Atlantic Council tomorrow at 10 am at Nato headquarters it is highly likely that the ambassador will request the activation of Article 4, or allied consultations,” he said.

Mr Duda spoke after Mr Morawiecki said that Poland would increase surveillance of its airspace following the incident.

However last night President Joe Biden said it was unlikely” that a missile was fired from Russia, but he pledged support for Poland’s investigation. Mr Biden spoke after he convened an emergency” meeting of the Group of Seven and Nato leaders in Indonesia earlier this morning for consultations.

“There is preliminary information that contests that,” Mr Biden told reporters when asked if the missile had been fired from Russia. It is unlikely in the lines of the trajectory that it was fired from Russia, but we’ll see”