On Thursday, July 30th, 2026, Polish authorities reported that a missile, likely a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, entered Polish airspace and crashed in a field near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia in the Lublin Voivodeship, about 80 to 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The impact created a crater approximately 10 meters wide.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who visited the site, stated, "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." He added there was no reason to believe Poland was the intended target but confirmed that two objects had violated Polish airspace.

NATO responded by scrambling F-16 fighter jets, along with an aerial refueling aircraft and an airborne early warning plane. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on social media, "Poland and NATO activated their air and ground defences."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed on X that the missile was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile that violated NATO airspace. The incident occurred amid a massive overnight Russian missile and drone assault on Ukraine, which involved the launch of 74 missiles and 284 drones, killing at least eight civilians and injuring more than 50.

Local residents near Tarnawa Kolonia reported hearing a large explosion around 4:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT), which rattled windows and led to the discovery of the crater and debris. Polish military authorities had scrambled an F-16 jet around 3:40 a.m. after radar detected the airspace violation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed insufficient or delayed air defense supplies for the casualties in Ukraine during the Russian strikes, praising the professionalism of Ukrainian soldiers in intercepting many incoming missiles and drones.

This event adds to a growing series of NATO airspace violations, raising concerns about potential escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Sources