NATO were forced to scramble fighter jets after a suspected Russian missile crossed into Polish airspace and crashed into a field.
The worrying intrusion came during a deadly aerial assault by Vladimir Putin overnight which saw two girls, aged five and 12, among eight victims.
A deadly aerial assault by Vladimir Putin overnight saw two children among eight victims Credit: AFP
Smoke rises over the village of Otrocz in eastern Poland after reports of a downed Russian missile Credit: East2West
Smoke was seen rising from Poland’s Lublin region where a crater was reportedly found after air raid sirens sounded across the area.
Polish operational command stated an “unidentified object” had crashed on its territory after multiple missiles were spotted flying close to the border.
One, feared to be a Kh-101 missile launched from a Russian strategic bomber, entered Polish airspace around 3.30am.
Residents of Targowisko reported a loud explosion as the missile crashed and burned in a field.
Rescuers working outside a residential building partially destroyed during Russian missiles strikes in western Ukrainian city of Lviv Credit: AFP
Polish police and troops gather at the reported impact site near Otrocz in eastern Poland Credit: East2West
Poland’s operational command said in a statement: “At 3.29am, the closest approach was made by one of the objects.
“At 3.40am, an unidentified object was detected in Polish airspace moving westward.
“An F-16 fighter jet was dispatched to the area to identify and intercept it.
“At 3.46am, before a clear identification could be made, the object disappeared from radar detection.
“To verify and ultimately confirm the radar’s technical indications, an Mi-24 helicopter was dispatched to the area of the last detection.
“The helicopter crew located the probable crash site of the object in an undeveloped area near the town of Tarnawa-Kolonia in the Lublin Voivodeship.”
The crash site sits four miles from Otrocz, which is around 56 miles from the Ukrainian border.
It comes as Ukraine faced another night of drone and missile attacks at the hands of Russia.
Firefighters extinguishing a fire on houses destroyed during a Russian ballistic missile strike in the village of Radushne Credit: AFP
A woman reacts near an apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike in Lviv Credit: Reuters
Smoke rises from a warehouse of Russian online retailer Wildberries in Priovrazhnoe after more Ukrainian attacks Credit: Reuters
A rescuer walks past a part of Russian cruise missile in Lviv Credit: Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned Russia was preparing for a “massive attack”.
Two girls, aged 5 and 12, were among six killed in a village near the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
A ballistic missile is said to have hit a home and sparked a fire, a local official said.
Eight others were injured, including two children.
In the capital Kyiv, one person died as multiple blazes broke out in three buildings, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The mayor of Poltava also said one person has died after a Nova Poshta postal terminal had been attacked.
Several other cities were also reported as being under attack by relentless Russian bombing.
It comes as Putin is reportedly set to for his war in Ukraine – as the tyrant vows to be “bolder” despite suffering huge losses.
Zelensky said Putin is planning to mobilise the 500,000 troops after legislative elections scheduled for September.
The move is said to be in response to Kyiv’s recent attacks on Russia’s economy.
Ukraine has been putting its foot on Moscow’s neck with a series of .
The devastating strikes on warehouses owned by Wildberries – the country’s biggest online marketplace – have shattered Russian morale.
Over the last few days, Ukraine has destroyed or damaged a series of complexes belonging to the largest e-commerce site in Russia.
And the drone onslaught has thrown Russian daily life into chaos – wiping out local businesses overnight and suffocating small-scale trade.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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