A Russian cruise missile almost certainly landed inside Poland during a large-scale Russian assault on Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed after visiting the crash site. A 10-metre-wide crater was found in a field near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia, in the Lublin region of eastern Poland, roughly 80–92 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. "From the analysis of most of the recovered fragments, the evidence points to a Russian Kh-101 missile," Tusk said at a news conference near the site, adding that the object had been armed. No casualties were reported, as the impact zone was well clear of residential areas.

Poland's military detected the object at around 03:40 local time and scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to intercept it, but the missile disappeared from radar minutes later before crashing in an open field. Tusk said Polish air defences were prepared to shoot it down had it continued toward populated areas, and that roughly 20 objects had been tracked near Polish airspace overnight. A military prosecutor's investigation has been opened. The incident unfolded as Russia launched a massive combined strike against Ukraine involving 74 missiles and 284 drones, targeting Kyiv, Lviv — close to the Polish border — and areas near Kryvyi Rih. At least eight or nine people were killed across Ukraine and dozens wounded.

NATO said it had activated air and ground defences alongside Poland in response to "a Russian missile of currently unknown type" that entered Polish airspace. Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, said the alliance would "continue to take all necessary measures to defend NATO territory." Ukraine's acting Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha declared the missile a definitive violation of NATO airspace, while French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the strikes "in the strongest possible terms" and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it "once again an unacceptable violation of EU airspace." European Council President António Costa said the incident underlined that "Russia's aggression is a threat to the security of Europe as a whole."

Tusk stressed there was no reason to believe Poland was an intentional target, but the incident is among the most serious cross-border episodes since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Poland, a NATO and EU member, has experienced multiple airspace incursions since then. In November 2022, two Polish farmers were killed when a missile — later assessed to be a Ukrainian air-defence projectile — landed near the village of Przewodów. In September 2024, Poland, with Dutch assistance, shot down multiple Russian drones that had entered its airspace in what officials called an unprecedented violation. Romania and Moldova have also recorded repeated drone incursions. Thursday's confirmed missile strike deepens concerns about the spillover risks of the war for alliance territory, and the pressure it places on NATO's collective defence commitments.