The Polish public is still waiting for the official conclusion of the investigation into the incident that took place in the village of Wyryki in the Lublin Voivodeship on the night of 9-10 September. An unknown object crashed into one of the local houses and damaged the roof and ceiling. While the first reports spoke of a drone crash, it now appears that the reality may be much more complex.
In an interview with Polsat television, Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister in charge of special services, said that the Lublin prosecutor's office had confirmed that it was not a drone. He added that it was "very likely" that the incident was the result of the use of weapons by Polish pilots. He said all indications were that the house was hit by a missile fired by a Polish F-16 aircraft during action against enemy targets.
A day earlier, the Rzeczpospolita daily, citing security sources, wrote that the missile could have been a US AIM-120 AMRAAM. According to the newspaper, the missile did not hit the target and did not explode, causing only mechanical damage to the building. The same version was subsequently picked up by foreign agencies, including Reuters and Anadolu.
The incident itself took place during a dramatic night when Poland faced a massive disruption of its airspace. The Armed Forces Operations Command announced that it had destroyed several objects identified as enemy drones. Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that there were nineteen incidents of disruption in a single day. As a result of this situation, Warsaw has requested consultations within NATO under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, as confirmed by Reuters.
The Lublin prosecutor's office has not yet closed the investigation. According to regional media, no traces of explosives were found in the area and some of the seized machines turned out to be empty imitations without explosives. Polskie Radio reported that this fact complicates efforts to determine what exactly damaged the house in Wyryki.
Siemoniak stressed in the interview that the action was in defence of Poland and its citizens. He said the army accepts responsibility and is ready to pay for the damages to the family of the affected house, which was confirmed by the Polish Press Agency. President Karol Nawrocki has called on the government for a transparent explanation, while the opposition has meanwhile criticised the cabinet for chaos and unclear communication.
Moscow also got involved in the whole affair. The Russian defence ministry announced that it had only hit military targets on Ukrainian territory during the night in question and that the attack on Polish territory was not planned. It also expressed its readiness to consult with Warsaw on the details of the incident.
The only thing that is certain so far is that the version about the drone as the cause of the damage to the house falls flat. Evidence is mounting that it was a missile fired in an anti-drone operation. But the prosecution will have the final say as it analyses the debris and the available radar and satellite data. The Polish public and NATO allies are now expecting a clear and transparent investigation into the whole incident.
gnews.cz - GH
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