Polish experts confirm missile that fell in Poland is Ukrainian - media

Radio Svoboda reports, citing Rzeczpospolita and sources familiar with the investigation.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office confirmed that they had indeed received the report, but did not disclose its contents due to its confidential nature. The spokesperson added that the agency has asked Ukraine for legal assistance and is awaiting a response.

According to Rzeczpospolita, the investigators' conclusion was allegedly prepared on the basis of multiple sources and classified data from national services. So far, Poland and Ukraine have not officially disclosed the details of the investigation.

It is noted that it was probably an S-300 anti-aircraft missile of the 5-B-55 series (Russian-made). The prosecutor's office allegedly knows from which part of the Ukrainian air defense forces it was launched.

The air defense missiles were fired at the target in pairs, one of them hit, the other continued to fly.

"In such a situation, the missile's self-destruct mechanisms should work after reaching a certain altitude. But this did not happen, we do not know why," a source familiar with the investigation told reporters.

It is pointed out that the Polish prosecutor's office initially leaned towards the S-300 version after the missile fragments were found.

Experts rule out that the missile could have come from Russia, as it can travel no more than 90 kilometers. A launch from Belarus is also ruled out, as the distance from there to Przewodów is even longer.

Background

On November 15, 2022, Russia launched a massive missile attack on a number of Ukrainian regions. The explosions occurred in Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and other cities. Subsequently, Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller announced the convening of the Council of Ministers' Committee on National Security and Defense. At the same time, Polish media reported explosions near the border with Ukraine and the deaths of two farmers.

Later, the Polish Foreign Ministry announced the Russian origin of the missile that killed two people in Przewodów. At the same time, Warsaw did not consider the incident a deliberate attack on the country.

The NATO Secretary General said that the investigation into the missile fall in Poland is ongoing. Preliminary analysis suggests it was a Ukrainian air defense missile. “This is not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears ultimate responsibility, as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg stated.

Russia denied that it had launched any missiles near the scene of the incident or anywhere near the Polish border.

U.S. President Joe Biden told G7 and NATO partners that the explosion in Poland was likely caused by a missile from Ukraine's air defense system.

On November 17, Jakub Kumoch, head of the Presidential Bureau for International Policy, said that Ukrainian specialists were working at the site of the missile crash in Przewodów. A few days later, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that camera footage did not confirm where the missile was fired from.