NATO unites with 'valuable ally', US pledges technical support

On December 29, General Wieslaw Kukula - Chief of the General Staff of the Polish army - announced that a Russian missile flew over the country's airspace and then returned to Ukraine.

A test launch of a Russian anti-aircraft missile. (Source: RT)

The Polish military's announcement came just hours after Russia launched its most intense air strikes yet on Ukrainian territory.

Speaking to reporters, General Kukula shared: “Everything shows that a Russian missile flew into Polish airspace… It also flew out of our airspace.”

Unidentified object detected by Polish air defense radar, then disappeared from the screen.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has had a telephone conversation with Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. An urgent meeting is scheduled for today at the State Security Service with Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz, Chief of the General Staff Wiesław Kukula and Commander of Operations of the Polish Armed Forces Maciej Klisz.

* Commenting on this issue, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jen Stoltenberg said that NATO is monitoring the situation in Warsaw.

On X (formerly known as Twitter), Mr. Stoltenberg shared: "I spoke with President Andrzej Duda about the missile incident. NATO stands in solidarity with our 'valuable ally', is monitoring the situation. We will stay in touch when the truth is established. NATO remains vigilant."

* On the US side, the White House informed that President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the information.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by phone with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Siewiera and the two officials discussed the incident.

In a statement, Mr. Sullivan "expressed Washington's solidarity with Warsaw, a close NATO ally of the United States" and pledged technical assistance as needed.

* On the evening of December 29 (local time), the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russian Charge d'Affaires Andrei Ordash about the missile flying over the country.

"In the evening, Deputy Foreign Minister (of Poland) Vladislav Teofil Bartoshevsky summoned Russian Charge d'Affaires Andrei Ordash and handed him a diplomatic note. In it, the Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation of the cruise missile violation of Polish airspace and to immediately stop such actions," the statement posted on the Polish Foreign Ministry's website said.

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