Russian Missile Crashes in Poland, NATO Scrambles Jets
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- A Russian missile entered Polish airspace before dawn Thursday and crashed in the eastern village of Tarnawa-Kolonia, leaving a wide crater but no injuries or damage.
- The missile was part of a Russian barrage of ballistic missiles and drones against Ukraine that killed at least eight civilians including children and injured more than 50.
- NATO scrambled F-16 fighter jets, an aerial refuelling aircraft, and an airborne early warning plane; Secretary-General Mark Rutte called it "yet another reckless act by Russia."
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said "everything indicates" the missile was Russian, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha identified it as a Kh-101 cruise missile.
- Stray projectiles are becoming routine: Romania reported three drone incursions this week alone, and in May Latvia's government collapsed in a dispute over how to handle incoming Russian drones.
- The EU is now discussing building a "drone wall" along its eastern flank to counter the rising frequency of incidents.
Why it matters: Poland's incident is the latest in a pattern that already toppled Latvia's government in May and pushed the EU toward discussing a "drone wall" — turning stray Russian projectiles into a recurring political and military strain on NATO's eastern flank.
