Missile From Russia Strikes Inside Poland as Deadly Attacks Pummel Ukraine.

NATO Jets Scrambled as Russian Missile Lands 55 Miles Into Polish Territory

It was a tense morning across Eastern Europe when a Russian missile, believed to be a Kh-101 cruise missile, crashed into a field in southeastern Poland around 90 kilometers from the border.

The explosion left a massive crater near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia, sending Polish residents running from their homes after hearing a powerful blast. NATO and Polish military forces scrambled fighter jets, refueling aircraft, and early warning planes coming dangerously close to shooting the missile down before determining it would crash on its own.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk cut a grim figure as he visited the crater site later that day. "We were prepared to shoot down the missile if it had continued its flight," he told an emergency government meeting.

NATO officials say there are currently no plans to invoke Article 4 which would trigger formal discussions among members about a collective response. But the incident comes at an already volatile moment, as Russia launched one of its most devastating attacks on Ukraine in months.

Six Members of One Family Killed in Village Strike:

The same wave of Russian attacks killed at least nine people across Ukraine, with the most heartbreaking loss coming from the village of Radushne, near President Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih.

A ballistic missile obliterated the Voronov family home. Olena and Artem Voronov, along with six of their children, were killed in the strike. Authorities are still searching through the rubble for four other children who were believed to be inside, though rescue workers are warning it's unlikely anyone survived.

Graphic video from the scene showed bodies scattered among burning debris. In one harrowing moment, two women could be heard discussing the rescue effort: "We've pulled one child out. There are still some lying over there. There are children here. There are many children."

Zelensky later confirmed that preliminary reports suggest Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile something they haven't done "in a long while."

In Lviv, rescue workers pulled a 10 year old boy from the wreckage of a residential building, carrying him away on a stretcher. At least 54 people were wounded across the country.

Confusion or Deliberate Test?

This isn't the first time a Russian missile has landed in Poland. In November 2022, one struck near the Ukrainian border and killed two people. But this time, the missile flew much deeper 55 miles into NATO territory.

So was it an accident? Or a deliberate test?

There are three suspicious coincidences, as CNN analyst Nick Paton Walsh points out:

1. The missile landed in an empty field, harming no one

2. That field happened to be near where Zelensky met with Tusk just hours earlier

3. It follows weeks of Western concerns that Moscow might seek to escalate the war

"Whether this is a deliberate test or just one of many missiles that went off course... that uncertainty will inform NATO's response," Walsh wrote. "You can't respond forcefully if you aren't sure what's just happened. But all the same, a Russian missile just landed inside NATO, and that is unquestionably a big deal."

Ukraine's Desperate Plea for Air Defenses:

The attacks come just days after Zelensky returned from Washington, where he urgently appealed for more air defenses. Ukraine intercepted more than 260 drones during the assault, a remarkable feat given what Zelensky called a "critical shortage of air defense missiles from our partners."

Russia launched more than 70 missiles and 280 drones, targeting civilian areas, homes, and infrastructure across the country. The number of Ukrainian civilians killed this month is the highest since April 2022.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been striking back, hitting Russian targets deep inside the country including facilities belonging to Wildberries, often described as "Russia's Amazon."

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO chief Mark Rutte, strongly condemned the attacks, with Rutte emphasizing NATO's "unwavering" commitment to Ukraine.