Zelensky has ‘no doubt’ Ukrainian missile did not cause blast in Poland
- The Ukrainian president said he believed Tuesday’s explosion was caused by a Russian missile, and that he based his conclusions on reports from Ukraine’s military
- Zelensky’s comments contradicted those of Poland and Nato. They said the explosion was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile launched to intercept a Russian barrage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that a missile that hit Poland, killing two, was Russian.
“I have no doubt that this is not our missile,” Zelensky said in televised remarks. “I believe that this was a Russian missile, based on our military reports.”
Zelensky’s comments contradicted those of Poland and Nato, which both said the explosion was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile launched to intercept a Russian barrage.
Zelensky said Kyiv had not seen proof that the missile was Ukrainian and said it was imperative that Ukraine become part of an investigation.
The United States on Wednesday backed Warsaw’s assessment that the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces, but Washington blamed Moscow for causing the incident.
“We have seen nothing that contradicts President (Andrzej) Duda’s preliminary assessment that this explosion was most likely the result of a Ukrainian air defence missile,” the White House said in a statement.
“It is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia, which launched a barrage of missiles on Ukraine,” it added.