Russian missile kills two people in NATO member Poland, US intelligence official says

Published

3 years ago

November 16, 2022

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A Russian missile has killed two people in NATO member Poland, a senior US intelligence official has told the AP news agency.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called an urgent meeting to discuss national security.

The Polish foreign ministry later said that a Russian-produced rocket fell on the village of Przewodow at 3.40pm local time, near the border with Ukraine.

The ministry added that it had summoned the Russian ambassador. Moscow has denied any involvement.

Mr Morawiecki said he was calling on all Poles to remain calm and air space monitoring was being stepped up.

Poland is raising the readiness of its military units, government spokesman Piotr Muller said.

He also confirmed there had been an explosion that killed two Polish citizens, and said discussions were underway over whether to activate NATO’s article four, which involves all members meeting at the alliance’s HQ.

Sky News subsequently learned that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will chair an emergency meeting of the alliance’s 30 member states on Wednesday.

‘Crisis situation’ as NATO responds – follow live reaction

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a strike on NATO territory was a “significant escalation” and “action” was needed.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has spoken to US President Joe Biden, Mr Zelenskyy, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Sunak said he had “reiterated the UK’s solidarity with Poland”.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he was in contact with Polish counterparts and NATO allies.

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said he was proposing that EU leaders attending the G20 summit in Bali hold a coordination meeting on Wednesday.

“We stand with Poland,” Mr Michel tweeted.

US Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said America would “defend every inch of NATO territory”, but added that he had “no information to corroborate press reports” of the alleged Russian attack.

Polish media said a missile had hit an area where grain was drying in Przewodow.

“Firefighters are on the spot – it’s not clear what has happened,” said firefighter Lukasz Kucy.

Russia’s defence ministry said reports of Russian involvement were a “deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation”.

It added in a statement: “No strikes on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish state border were made by Russian means of destruction.”

However, Moscow launched a large number of missiles at Ukraine on Tuesday, knocking out power for seven million households.

Some of the missiles hit Lviv in western Ukraine, which is only about 50 miles from the Polish border.

Lord Richard Dannatt, former head of the British Army, told Sky News: “Modern technology is pretty accurate, so it’s quite difficult to explain away that this might have been an accident.

“If it wasn’t an accident then it was a test of the West’s response, and that’s something that’s got to be thought through very carefully.”

General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, said the “stakes are really high”.

He added that if Russia had targeted Poland deliberately then “this world of ours is taking a turn that no one could possibly have imagined even a month ago”.

But General Sir Richard said it was “far more likely” that a “missile had gone rogue” and had malfunctioned or been deflected.

Latvia’s deputy prime minister, Artis Pabriks, said: “Criminal Russian regime fired missiles which target not only Ukrainian civilians but also landed on NATO territory in Poland.

“Latvia fully stands with Polish friends and condemns this crime.”

Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said she was monitoring the situation closely and in contact with Polish friends and NATO allies.

Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said he was “very concerned by Russian missiles dropping in Poland”, adding: “Russia must explain what happened. Senseless attacks on infrastructure must stop immediately.

“Russia’s recklessness is getting out of hand.”

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted: “We are all part of the NATO family.”

The Estonian foreign ministry said the news from Poland was “most alarming” and it was ready to defend “every inch of NATO territory”.

NATO has a principle of collective defence which means that an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all allies.

Fabrice Pothier, former director of planning at NATO, told Sky News that a NATO member which had been attacked could “trigger article five” and call all other members to help in its defence.

He added that it was too early to say whether what happened in Poland was an “intended attack” or whether it was the “misfiring of a missile”.

However, he said there was enough reason to trigger article four.

Subsequent actions could include augmenting the air defences of both Poland and Ukraine, Mr Pothier added. He described Ukraine as “de facto the first line of defence of the alliance”.

Poland has not been involved in the conflict, but has welcomed millions of Ukrainian refugees and has widely condemned the war.

World

Trump’s USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

Published

2 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Trump's USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

Around 14 million people could die across the world over the next five years because of cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), researchers have warned.

Children under five are expected to make up around a third (4.5 million) of the mortalities, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.

Estimates showed that “unless the abrupt funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030”.

“Beyond causing millions of avoidable deaths – particularly among the most vulnerable – these cuts risk reversing decades of progress in health and socioeconomic development in LMICs [low and middle-income countries],” the report said.

USAID programmes have prevented the deaths of more than 91 million people, around a third of them among children, the study suggests.

The agency’s work has been linked to a 65% fall in deaths from HIV/AIDS, or 25.5 million people.

Eight million deaths from malaria, more than half the total, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases and nearly five million from tuberculosis (TB), have also been prevented.

USAID has been vital in improving global health, “especially in LMICs, particularly African nations,” according to the report.

Established in 1961, the agency was tasked with providing humanitarian assistance and helping economic growth in developing countries, especially those deemed strategic to Washington.

But the Trump administration has made little secret of its antipathy towards the agency, which became an early victim of cuts carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – formerly led by Elon Musk – in what the US government said was part of a broader plan to remove wasteful spending.

In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 80% of USAID schemes had been closed following a six-week review, leaving around 1,000 active.

The US is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, providing around $61bn (£44bn) in foreign assistance last year, according to government data, or at least 38% of the total, and USAID is the world’s leading donor for humanitarian and development aid, the report said.

Between 2017 and 2020, the agency responded to more than 240 natural disasters and crises worldwide – and in 2016 it sent food assistance to more than 53 million people across 47 countries.

The study assessed all-age and all-cause mortality rates in 133 countries and territories, including all those classified as low and middle-income, supported by USAID from 2001 to 2021.

World

Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

Published

5 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

Thailand’s prime minister has been suspended after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian politician caused outrage.

An ethics investigation into Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under way and she could end up being dismissed.

The country’s constitutional court took up a petition from 36 senators, who claimed dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her.

The prime minister’s call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, sparked public protests after she tried to appease him and criticised a Thai army commander – a taboo move in a country where the military is extremely influential.

Ms Shinawatra was trying to defuse mounting tensions at the border – which in May resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.

Thousands of conservative, nationalist protesters held a demo in Bangkok on Saturday to urge her to step down.

Her party is clinging on to power after another group withdrew from their alliance a few weeks ago over the phone call. Calls for a no-confidence vote are likely.

Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over temporarily while the court looks into the case.

The 38-year-old prime minister – Thailand‘s youngest ever leader – has 15 days to respond to the probe. She has apologised and said her approach in the call was a negotiating tactic.

The popularity of her government has slumped recently, with an opinion poll showing an approval rating of 9.2%, down from 30.9% in March.

Ms Shinawatra comes from a wealthy dynasty synonymous with Thai politics.

Her father Thaksin Shinawatra – a former Manchester City owner – and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister before her – in the early to mid 2000s – and their time in office also ended ignominiously amid corruption charges and military coups.

World

Benjamin Netanyahu to meet Donald Trump next week amid calls for Gaza ceasefire

Published

11 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Benjamin Netanyahu to meet Donald Trump next week amid calls for Gaza ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting Donald Trump next Monday, according to US officials.

The visit on 7 July comes after Mr Trump suggested it was possible a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within a week.

On Sunday, he wrote on social media: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!”

At least 60 people killed across Gaza on Monday, in what turned out to be some of the heaviest attacks in weeks.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 56,500 people have been killed in the 20-month war.

The visit by Mr Netanyahu to Washington has not been formally announced and the officials who said it would be going ahead spoke on condition of anonymity.

An Israeli official in Washington also confirmed the meeting next Monday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was in constant communication with the Israeli government.

She said Mr Trump viewed ending the war in Gaza and returning remaining hostages held by Hamas as a top priority.

The war in Gaza broke out in retaliation for Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw a further 250 taken hostage.

An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden’s US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.

Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire.