A missile believed to have been launched by Russia struck southeastern Poland early Thursday, marking a rare instance of Russian ordnance landing on NATO territory amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, officials said. The incident occurred during a series of overnight missile attacks by Russia against Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described the event as a violation of Poland’s airspace and called it a “reckless act” by Russia. He pledged to bolster the alliance’s defensive measures in response. NATO spokesperson Colonel Martin O’Donnell confirmed that one of the many missiles fired at Ukraine had crashed in Poland but noted its type was still being identified.

Polish authorities initially referred to the object as “unidentified” before concluding it was likely a Russian missile carrying explosives. Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported that the missile created a roughly 32-foot crater in a field near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia in Lublin Province. He said there were no injuries and emphasized that there was currently no evidence to suggest Poland had been the target of the missile.

“This incident is politically significant, and speculation continues as to whether it was Russian or Ukrainian in origin,” Tusk said, adding that an investigation was ongoing. He also noted that a second missile briefly entered Polish airspace before turning back toward Ukraine.

Poland has experienced similar incidents before. In 2022, a missile landed on Polish territory, killing two people. That event initially raised fears of a Russian attack but was later determined to be an errant Ukrainian air defense missile.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media that a Russian cruise missile had crossed into Poland but did not specify whether it struck the ground. Russia has not issued any immediate comment on the incident.

Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies and a significant NATO member along the border, has faced multiple instances of Russian drones crossing its airspace and various hybrid and sabotage attacks attributed to Moscow. The incident underscored the risks associated with the conflict spilling over into NATO countries, which could potentially escalate tensions further.

NATO scrambled fighter jets in response to the incursion, and Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the alliance’s top military commander, spoke with Poland’s defense minister following the event. Though it remains unclear if Poland has formally requested NATO consultations for collective defense, Grynkewich reassured that NATO is committed to defending its territories.

The missile crater was located approximately 31 miles south of where Prime Minister Tusk met earlier that day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Tusk described the proximity as “an unusual coincidence” and said Polish forces were prepared to neutralize the missile had it continued its flight.

Polish military officials said they observed at least a dozen Russian missiles over western Ukraine overnight. They tracked one object entering Polish airspace near 3:29 a.m. local time before it shifted eastward. Another object was detected minutes later inside Poland but disappeared from radar before interception. A helicopter investigation identified the probable impact site.

Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the air defense systems were challenged by the multiple incursions. “Clarification is underway regarding the nature and origin of the object,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reiterated calls for increased deliveries of Western air defense weaponry, arguing that enhanced Ukrainian defenses are vital not only for Ukraine’s security but also for protecting the broader Euro-Atlantic region from Russian missile threats. Sybiha described Thursday’s incident as a clear demonstration of the urgency to strengthen air defense capabilities.