Russia reportedly launches missiles into Poland, leaving at least 2 people dead
At least two people have died after Russian missiles landed inside Poland, U.S. intelligence officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
As first reported by local media, one of these missiles struck the small Polish town of Przewodów, near the country's border with Ukraine. Piotr Muller, a spokesperson for the Polish government, did not confirm any further details of the attack, but said the country's leaders were holding an emergency meeting amidst a "crisis situation."
As of 2 p.m. ET, the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C. told The Daily Beast that the meeting, which included Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, was underway. The embassy declined to provide further details.
Beyond coming from Russia, the exact origins of the missiles remained unclear.
The attack in Poland, a notable member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), called into question the potential use of the treaty's Article V doctrine. This clause codifies NATO's "collective defense," stating, "If a NATO ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the ally attacked."
While Article V has only been invoked once in NATO history, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the attack on Poland could have the potential to pull additional NATO members into armed conflict.
The incident in Poland followed a period in which Russia launched a massive barrage of missiles into Ukraine, causing blackouts across the country.
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