Poland to continue investigating Russian missile crash with help from Ukrainian expert
Further procedural steps and a forensic examination of the missile debris recovered after a missile crashed in Poland's Lublin Voivodeship on 30 July are scheduled for Friday 31 July, with a Ukrainian expert set to join the investigation.
Source: European Pravda, citing Polish news portal RMF24
Details: Prosecutors completed their examination of the crash site in Tarnawa-Kolonia, around 95 km from the Ukrainian border, on the evening of Thursday 30 July. Investigators have recovered numerous missile fragments, which will undergo detailed forensic examination on 31 July with the participation of a Ukrainian expert.
Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the Lublin prosecutor's office, said on 30 July that the impact crater had been filled in and the land could once again be used by its owner.
He added that soldiers from Poland's Territorial Defence Forces had searched an area of about 3 sq km, recovering numerous fragments of the missile, including parts of its engine.
Kozak said further procedural steps would take place on Friday 31 July, including a forensic examination of the debris at military police headquarters. A Ukrainian expert will assist Polish investigators in identifying the recovered object.
On the evening of 30 July, Poland's Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk confirmed that the missile that fell in the Lublin district was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.
Earlier, Kozak said investigators had examined the explosion site, a crater measuring about 10 m in diameter and 5 m deep. They documented missile debris and components and collected soil samples.
Background:
- Earlier, NATO said it was in close contact with the Polish authorities over the incident involving the Russian Kh-101 missile.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also spoke with his Polish counterpart, Radosław Sikorski, after the Russian cruise missile entered Polish airspace. Sybiha assured him that Ukraine stands in full solidarity with Poland.
- Commenting on the missile's crash in Lublin Voivodeship, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said there was no reason to believe that Poland itself had been the intended target.
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