Russia has tonight (Tuesday) reportedly launched missiles on Poland, killing two people. The strike on the NATO member state was confirmed by a senior US intelligence officer.
The rockets have fallen in a village in Eastern Poland, Przewodow, which is close to the border with Ukraine. It was reported in the local press that the rockets were 'strays' and hit a farm where grain was drying. Police and the army raced to the scene in the aftermath, reports MirrorOnline.
Russian missiles have now killed in a NATO country during its ongoing war in Ukraine, a step which could cause severe ramifications in the conflict. It's not yet known if Poland will choose to invoke NATO's article 5.
This states that any attack on one member state is treated as an attack on them all. NATO is an Alliance that consists of 30 independent member countries, including the UK and the USA.
A press secretary for the Pentagon said: "When it comes to our security commitments and Article 5, we have been crystal clear: we will defend every inch of NATO territory."
At 9pm local time, government ministers in Poland were reportedly meeting, thought to be discussing the development. Poland's Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, convened the Committee of the Council of Ministers for National Security and Defence Affairs "as a matter of urgency", government spokesman Piotr Müller confirmed.
Müller did not immediately confirm the reports of the US intelligence official and said the meeting was being held due to a 'crisis situation'. Polish armed forces are reportedly on ‘high alert’ and military planes were reportedly scrambled in response and were in the air in the region.
The two people who were killed were said to have died at the scene following the impact of the rockets, thought to have happened sometime this afternoon. Local fire services initially confirmed an explosion in the area but it later emerged that rockets had fallen there.
Images from the impact site of the rockets show burnt and twisted farm equipment, destroyed by the rockets and a huge crater in the ground. Further pictures show large bits of metal debris were thrown across the area as well.
Reports suggest residents heard two explosions when the rockets fell, and the area remains cordoned off as Polish authorities investigate. There has been no word yet from the government but Russian weapons causing the death of citizens within a NATO member state will likely raise tensions further.
Latvia's Minister of Defence, Artis Pabriks, tweeted: "My condolences to our Polish brothers in arms. 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."
Neighbouring Moldova was also affected by Russian strikes today after their bombardment knocked out power to much of the nation. This comes after Russia launched several strikes today against the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
The Pentagon said it is looking into the reports but could not currently corroborate them. Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder reportedly said: "When it comes to our security commitments and Article 5, we have been crystal clear: we will defend every inch of NATO territory."
