Polish investigation concludes Ukrainian air defense missile fell on Polish territory last year

Polish experts had concluded that the projectile that caused the death of two people in Poland's Przewodow last year was a stray Ukrainian anti-air missile launched to intercept a Russian strike, the Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported on Sept. 26, citing its sources.

On Nov. 15, 2022, an explosion killed two civilians in a Polish grain facility near Ukraine's border. On that day, Russian forces carried out a massive attack against Ukraine, launching around 100 missiles against the country's energy infrastructure.

Suspicions that a Russian missile hit a Polish territory fuelled fears that the war in Ukraine could spiral into a wider conflict between NATO and Moscow.

According to Rzeczpospolita's sources, Polish experts of the country's Prosecutor's Office have "categorically" denied the possibility that Russia launched the missile. They have allegedly identified the projectile as an S-300 5-W-55 anti-air missile launched from Ukraine's territory.

As Russia attempted to strike a thermal plant near Lviv, Ukraine was said to have fired two missiles with a range of 75-90 kilometers to intercept the attack. According to the report, one hit the Russian rocket, while the other accidentally flew to Poland's territory.

The investigators pointed out that a safety mechanism of these missiles should make them self-destruct at a certain height. However, this did not happen for an unknown reason, Rzeczpospolita (Poland) said.

The experts concluded that even if Russia had placed its missile batteries in Belarus, they would be no closer than 150 kilometers from Przewodow and, therefore, out of range.

Russia’s overnight attack against Ukraine injured 2, damaged infrastructure

Russia launched a total of 38 Shahed-136/131 drones at Ukraine overnight on Sept. 26, according to the Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 26 drones.

The attack hit port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast's southern Izmail district, wounding two men, Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Sept. 26.

The two-hour-long attack damaged a checkpoint building, warehouses, and over 30 vehicles, according to the regional governor.

The port of Izmail is located just across the Danube River from the border with Romania.

Since the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, river, and sea ports, and grain stockpiles. In September, Bucharest found fragments of Russian drones on Romanian territory several times.

Kiper said air defenses shot down most drones that targeted Odesa Oblast but didn’t specify the number.

Six out of 26 drones were downed over southern Mykolaiv Oblast, neighboring Odesa Oblast, Vitalii Kim, the oblast governor, said on Telegram.

The official reported that drone debris fell on an agricultural enterprise in the Bereznehuvate community, some 80 kilometers northeast of Mykolaiv, causing a fire. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties.

Air defenses destroyed four more drones over Cherkasy Oblast, but an infrastructure facility in the region was hit, wrote Governor Ihor Taburets. No casualties were reported.

Russian attack kills 3, injures 3 in Kherson

A Russian attack on Kherson has killed three civilians and injured three others, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Sept. 25.

Two men and one woman were killed when a Russian artillery strike targeted a residential area of the city.

Homes, shops, and vehicles were damaged in the attack, according to the authorities. The Kherson District Prosecutor's Office said that an investigation has been opened into the crime of violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder.

Earlier in the day, a Russian airstrike against Beryslav in Kherson Oblast killed three people and one other, Prokudin said. A 73-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman died in the bombing, and a 55-year-old man died in hospital.

Partially occupied Kherson Oblast is a regular target of Russian attacks. On Sept. 24, Russian forces launched 87 attacks against the oblast, killing two people and wounding 11, the governor said.