A rocket struck Polish territory on Tuesday, killing two people, The Associated Press reported, citing senior U.S. intelligence officials.
The missile was likely fired by Ukrainian forces at a Russian bomb launched at Ukraine during Russia’s missile strikes, three U.S. intelligence officials told the AP. NATO and Polish officials made similar assessments.
Polish media originally reported that a projectile struck an area of farmland where grain was drying in Przewodów, a village near the border with Ukraine, according to the AP. Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller confirmed on social media that members of the country’s National Security Council had convened an emergency meeting to respond to a “crisis situation,” according to the AP.
Mueller did not say why the meeting was being convened. (RELATED: NATO To Host Nuclear Weapons Drills As Tensions With Russia Run High)
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), of which Poland is a member, allows a country to call on its allies to conduct a joint response to acts of aggression on a member’s territory.
President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. “will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power” if necessary in a February speech before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Premier @MorawieckiM zwołał w trybie pilnym Komitet Rady Ministrów do spraw Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego i spraw Obronnych.
— Piotr Müller (@PiotrMuller) November 15, 2022
The alleged strike on Polish territory came amid a widespread Russian barrage across Ukrainian energy facilities on Tuesday, the AP reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 85 missiles, adding that Ukraine “will survive everything.”
Artis Pabriks, Latvia’s deputy prime minister, expressed condolences to “Polish brothers in arms” in a social media statement, appearing to confirm the missile strike.
“Criminal Russian regime fired missiles which target not only Ukrainian civilians but also landed on NATO territory in Poland. Latvia fully stands with Polish friends and condemns this crime,” he said.
Pabriks suggested Poland could invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty, invoking a consultation among member states regarding an “issue of concern.”
Department of Defense press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. could not immediately confirm the Russian missile strike on Polish territory at a briefing Tuesday.
Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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