Russian missile in Polish airspace. BBN chief: we and our allies cannot rule out it was a provocation

On Friday, Dec. 29, Poland summoned the Russian charge d'affaires and demanded an explanation for the violation of Poland's airspace by a missile and an immediate halt to such activities.

According to the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, a Russian missile entered the airspace of the NATO member on Friday morning. Ukrainian authorities had reported a mass attack on various cities throughout Ukraine overnight.

"On Friday at 7.12 local time (0612 GMT), from the direction of the border with Ukraine, there was a violation of Polish airspace by an object that left Poland's territory after less than three minutes," Poland's General Staff wrote on X social media.

"We identify it as a Russian guided missile. During the whole time the missile's trajectory was tracked by radar systems, both Polish and allied. Air defense systems were on alert."

Chief of Poland's National Security Bureau (BBN), Jacek Siewiera, told TVN24 on Wednesday commented on last week's incident.

"It is difficult to assume that a 40-kilometer-(deep) breach from the border of Poland was accidental. This type of trajectory violates the airspace in a very significant way," he said. "When it comes to the risks, they are obviously very high and we must not forget about them."

Asked if this could have been a Russian provocation, Siewiera replied: "I cannot rule that out. Our allies also haven't ruled that out."

Siewiera said that the recent change of government in Warsaw and among Poland's top military officials may also have been a factor.

"The administration in the Kremlin is aware that, at a very difficult moment in Poland, government is being taken over by an administration that has not been in power for eight years," he said. "For this reason the risk of testing is high."

Siewiera also pointed to what he called recent disruptions to the global positioning system (GPS) in Poland and the Baltic region as worrisome.

"If we add incidents such as the disruption of the GPS system ... which seems to be, well, non-specific let's say, it is actually very concerning to military planists.

"It concerns the jamming of the allied signal near the Suwałki Gap; around the ports of Gdynia through which allied (military) aid arrives; and the Danish straits," Siewiera said, "and it does not affect (Russia's) GLONASS system," which is Russia's equivalent of the West's GPS.