Poland said the Russian Ambassador in Warsaw did not appear even though he was summoned to clarify the case of Moscow's missile "violating" Polish airspace.
“The ambassador did not appear at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to explain the incident related to Russian cruise missiles,” Pawel Wronski, spokesman for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on March 25, referring to Mr. Sergey Andreyev.
The Polish military announced on March 24 that a Russian cruise missile "violated" Polish airspace for 3 seconds while heading towards towns in western Ukraine. The projectile flew at a speed of nearly 39 km/h at an altitude of about 800 m and penetrated two kilometers deep into Polish territory before returning to the border.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the country had activated all air defense systems to cope. He emphasized that the missile would be shot down if there were any signs that it was targeting a target on Polish territory.
Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreyev in photo posted in April 4. Image: TASS
“We wonder whether the ambassador followed the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow and whether he was able to properly represent Russian interests in Warsaw,” Mr. Wronski said.
The spokesman said Poland would send a diplomatic note asking Russia to explain the "violation" of Warsaw's airspace in another way, but did not mention it specifically.
Russian media quoted Ambassador Andreyev as saying he received a summons request on the morning of March 25, but decided to ignore it.
“When I asked about the topic of discussion, I was told that it was related to yesterday's incident. I asked again whether the Polish side intended to provide us with any evidence of their accusations," Mr. Andreyev said. “I didn't get a clear answer.”
Russian officials said the country has not yet received evidence of a similar allegation that Poland made at the end of December last year, in which Warsaw said a Moscow cruise missile flew into the country's airspace within a few minutes. minutes before returning to Kiev territory.
"I felt there was no reason to discuss this topic without evidence, so I refused to go to the headquarters of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Mr. Andreyev said.
Poland has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since the conflict between this country and Russia broke out in late February 2. Warsaw has transferred many weapons to Kiev and regularly calls on Western countries to increase military aid to Ukraine. However, relations between the two countries have recently been tense regarding the issue of cheap grain.
Poland is also one of the neighboring countries most directly affected by the conflict in Ukraine. In November 11, two Polish people died after a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile fell on the village of Przewodow near the border of the two countries.
The missile was initially believed to have been launched by Russia, raising concerns about the possibility of NATO, an organization of which Poland is a member, being dragged into the conflict in Ukraine.
Location Ukraine, Russia and Poland. Graphics: RYV
Pham Giang (Follow AFP)
