The missile which hit Poland yesterday killing two people was probably launched by Ukrainian air defence, Western leaders have said – easing fears that the strike could drag NATO into direct conflict with Russia.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, speaking after a meeting of his security council Wednesday, said he has seen ‘no evidence’ the missile was fired by Russia and it was in fact ‘highly probable’ the Soviet-era S-300 rocket came from Ukraine. There is no indication that Poland was deliberately targeted, he added.

‘Ukraine’s defense was launching their missiles in various directions and it is highly probable that one of these missiles, unfortunately, fell on Polish territory,’ according to Duda, who added that Russia bears ultimate responsibility for the strike because Putin began the war in Ukraine.

Jens Stoltenberg, head of NATO, backed that analysis – saying the strike was likely a Ukrainian missile, there is ‘no indication’ it was deliberate and there is ‘no indication’ Russia is preparing an attack on NATO. However, he added: ‘This is not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.’

Ludivine Dedonder, the Belgian defence minister, said preliminary investigations by his security forces indicate the same thing – adding to reports that emerged in the early hours suggesting Biden had also told NATO leaders the rocket was from Ukraine.

Hours after the incident, Volodymyr Zelensky had blamed it on ‘Russian missile terror’, and Kyiv is yet to concede its own missile was involved. Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said Kyiv wanted access to the site and still saw a Russian ‘trace’ behind the attack.

The news came after a nervous night in which it looked like NATO and Russia could be heading for a direct confrontation that would have risked triggering World War Three, and it underlines the risk that a single mistake or miscalculation in Ukraine could yet spark such a conflict.

Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish Prime Minister, said it may no longer be necessary to trigger NATO Article 4 – which calls for discussions among allies over a threat – but that allies will strengthen air defences in the region.

However, that will come as small comfort to the families of the two men killed, who were identified by Polish media as a tractor driver called Bogdan C and a warehouse foreman called Boguslaw W, both aged in their 60s. (SOURCE)