The NATO Secretary General said that preliminary data indicate that the incident was due to the use of Ukrainian air defenses against Russian missile attacks on November 15.
According to preliminary analysis, on November 15, a Ukrainian air defense missile probably fell in Poland, fighting off a Russian missile attack. But Ukraine is not to blame for this.
As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference on November 16, the investigation into the fall of a rocket in Poland continues and we must wait for the final results.
"Yesterday's explosion in Poland occurred when the Russian Federation launched a wave of missile attacks on Ukraine. The investigation of the incident is ongoing, and we must wait for completion. But we do not indicate that this was a deliberate attack. And there is no indication that Russia was preparing an attack on NATO territory. And we have no evidence that Russia is planning offensive military action against NATO allies. This demonstrates the danger associated with the ongoing war in Ukraine. But this has not changed our fundamental assessment of the threat to NATO allies," Stoltenberg said.
The NATO Secretary General said that preliminary data indicate that the incident was due to the use of Ukrainian air defenses against Russian missile attacks on November 15.
"But I want to make it clear that this is not Ukraine's fault. Russia bears full responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine," he said.
He stressed that NATO would continue to support Ukraine and its right to self-defense, while Russia must stop the senseless war. According to him, after the missile crash in Poland, NATO's top priority remains to provide Ukraine with air defense systems.
"NATO and NATO allies are supporting Ukraine. We are helping Ukraine realize the right to self-defense enshrined in the UN Charter. Of course, Ukraine has the right to defend itself against Russia's illegal aggressive war against Ukraine. And our main priority now, one of the top priorities, is to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems," he said.
He added that the incident highlights the importance of monitoring and vigilance on the ground, and NATO has decided on a long-term adaptation of the Alliance's deterrence and defense. According to Stoltenberg, after the incident in Poland, additional air defense systems will be deployed on NATO's eastern flank.
