Poland Summons Russian Ambassador Over Cruise Missile Strike on Its Territory

Poland summoned Russia's ambassador on July 31 over a Russian cruise missile that struck Polish territory during an overnight barrage on July 30, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.

Tusk confirmed the move in a post on X, writing: "Today, the Polish Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador." He tied the diplomatic step directly to the missile that came down on Polish soil the previous day.

Warsaw's account of the incident was reported by RMF FM. Poland's Deputy Defense Minister, Cezary Tomczyk, declared he could now state with full responsibility that the projectile was a Russian Kh-101, an air-launched cruise missile carried by Russian strategic bombers.

Around 3 a.m., roughly 20 Russian missiles flew toward Poland, and Ukrainian air defenses destroyed most of them, Tomczyk noted. One could not be intercepted, and a Ukrainian fighter tracked it all the way to the state border.

The pilot broke off the pursuit about 20 seconds before the target crossed into Polish airspace, wary that Poland's own F-16s could mistake him for a threat and open fire.

"The Polish Army tracked the entire course of events from the very beginning—everything happening in Ukraine," Tomczyk explained, thanking the personnel involved in the operation.

The missile came down in Poland's Lublin region, and footage circulating online captured the moment of impact. Tusk indicated that Poland had been prepared to shoot the missile down had it stayed on course.

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Romania Expels Russian Diplomat Following Repeated Drone Incursions Into NATO Airspace

Jul 27, 2026 19:31

After the missile entered Polish airspace, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, held phone talks with his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski, pledging that Kyiv would provide all assistance necessary to investigate the incident, Reuters reported.

Russian munitions straying across the frontiers of NATO's eastern flank have grown into a recurring hazard as Moscow escalates its air campaign against Ukraine.

Over three consecutive days in late July, Romanian F-16 fighters shot down three Russian drones that had crossed into the country's airspace during large-scale attacks on Ukraine.

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