Poland was prepared to shoot down a suspected Russian cruise missile that briefly entered its airspace during a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine if it had travelled further into Polish territory, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday.
According to Polish officials, the missile crossed into southeastern Poland at around 3:40am local time (0140 GMT) during a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes targeting western Ukraine.
“It appears that it was a Russian missile, although we do not yet have 100% certainty about exactly what type it was,” Tusk told reporters in Warsaw.
“We were ready to shoot down the missile if it had continued its flight,” he added.
Preliminary assessments suggested the object may have been a Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile, although authorities said investigations were continuing to determine its exact type, flight path and how it entered Polish airspace.
The incident prompted Poland to scramble its air force, while allied aircraft were also activated and ground-based air defence and radar systems were placed on heightened alert.
Tusk said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously warned him that Kyiv had intelligence indicating Russia was preparing a major attack.
No casualties or damage were reported in Poland. Military personnel and investigators were examining the area where the missile, or fragments of it, were believed to have fallen.
Warsaw has repeatedly stated that it is prepared to respond decisively to any object posing a direct threat to its territory, while emphasising that commanders must first assess an object’s trajectory, identity and the potential risks posed by falling debris before authorising an interception.
The latest airspace violation is expected to renew debate over when Poland should intercept missiles or drones approaching or crossing into its territory during Russian attacks on neighbouring Ukraine.
Poland and other NATO members have strengthened air defence deployments along the alliance’s eastern flank since Russian drones entered Polish airspace in September 2025, when Polish and allied forces shot down drones deemed to pose an immediate threat. Russian missiles have entered or approached Polish airspace on several occasions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.