On Tuesday, 15 November, two Polish citizens were killed by an explosion due to a rocket launch that reached Polish soil, near the border with Ukraine. Today, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda organised emergency meetings with the National Security Bureau and the National Security Council.

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“We want to emphasize […] that the inhabitants of the eastern part of Poland should not be worried about the increased activity of the air force, as well as the police, border guards, and army, especially in the border region. This is an action that we have taken intentionally, precisely in order to strengthen security,” – Duda reassured after the first meeting. 

The Polish Head of State explained that one of the possible scenarios is that Ukrainian forces accidentally reached Polish territory in the act of self-defence amid Tuesday’s massive bombings by Russia.  

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Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki reiterated the need for prudence amid the many examples of disinformation and fake news circulating online following the tragedy. He also increased the combat readiness of selected units of the Polish Armed Forces, with particular emphasis on airspace monitoring.

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Messages of solidarity and support come in from heads of state from all across the globe, while Polish authorities remain in constant contact with their NATO partners. 

In the meantime, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Russia is not planning any attack on NATO. He also emphasised that no matter if the rockets were indeed launched by Ukrainian forces, it’s Moscow who bears the entire responsibility for what happened on NATO’s eastern flank. 

International experts are investigating the case together with Polish specialists.

Image: Twitter (@prezydentpl)

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen