Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a missile that crashed in eastern Poland overnight was most likely Russian, after the incident prompted the country to scramble fighter jets and place its air defences on high alert.
Speaking at an emergency meeting on Thursday, Tusk said the evidence gathered so far points to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, although investigators have yet to reach a final conclusion.
"All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but we want to be 100% certain about the type of missile and who launched it," Tusk said.
He added that investigators were continuing to examine the evidence and cautioned against reaching a definitive conclusion before the inquiry is complete.
"There is no reason to believe that the target was Poland, but two of these objects violated Polish airspace," Tusk said. "One definitely did, as we have its traces here, while the other was detected near the Polish border, but it was a very brief signal."
The incident unfolded after residents in Poland's eastern Lublin region reported hearing a loud explosion overnight as Russia carried out a major wave of strikes on targets across Ukraine.
Police later discovered a crater measuring around 10 metres across in a field near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia, along with debris from an unidentified object.
Poland's military said an object had been detected entering the country's airspace before investigators located what they believe to be the crash site.
Government spokesperson Jan Grabiec said Tusk travelled to the area following reports of the airspace violation.
Ukraine has since asked to take part in the investigation, with Polish prosecutors confirming that Kyiv has offered to send specialists to assist authorities examining the debris.
As Russian strikes hit Ukraine overnight, Poland responded by mobilising military assets near its eastern border.
The Polish Armed Forces said fighter jets were scrambled and an airborne early warning aircraft was deployed, while ground-based air defence and radar systems were placed on heightened alert.
Military officials described the measures as precautionary and aimed at protecting Polish airspace during the attacks.
Russia later said it had carried out what it described as a large-scale strike using long-range precision weapons launched from air, sea and land against Ukrainian military targets.
The incident drew swift condemnation from European and NATO leaders.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the missile's entry into Polish territory as another unacceptable breach of European airspace.
"To put an end to this, we are helping Ukraine win this war in every way we can," she wrote on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine and criticised the violation of Polish airspace.
"Our support for Ukraine and our allies is unwavering," Macron said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the incident demonstrated Russia's willingness to escalate tensions and endangered the security of neighbouring countries.
"We stand unwaveringly by our partners," Merz wrote on social media.
NATO said its Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, spoke with Poland's Chief of Defence, General Wiesław Kukuła, following the incident.
According to NATO, both air and ground-based defensive systems were activated in response to the object entering Polish airspace.
The alliance said the investigation remains ongoing but reiterated its commitment to defending member states.
The incident is likely to revive memories of November 2022, when a missile landed in the Polish village of Przewodów near the Ukrainian border, killing two people and raising fears that the war could spill over into NATO territory.
While Polish officials stressed there was no indication that Thursday's incident was a deliberate attack on Poland, the crash has once again underlined how the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine continues to pose risks beyond its borders.
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