A missile blast in NATO member state Poland yesterday raised international concerns of a broadening Ukraine war as both Ukraine and Russia denied responsibility for the incident. 

Reports emerged at 3:40 p.m local time in the small town Przewodow of a missile blast at a grain storage unit which killed two Polish citizens. Przewodow sits approximately 3.5 miles from the Ukraine border. Polish president Andrzej Duda stated the missile was likely Russian-made, but that the incident was under investigation. 

Following these initial reports, Duda said it was ‘highly probable’ Poland would invoke Article 4 which calls for consultations among NATO states to exchange perspectives before taking concrete action. Poland had also assembled a national security commission meeting to review accumulating evidence and coordinate with NATO allies, including the US. 

On Wednesday morning, NATO ambassadors and Secretary-General Stoltenberg convened an emergency meeting in Brussels, separate from an Article 4 consultation, to discuss the matter. Member state analyses suggest, according to Stoltenberg, the blast was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile launched to defend against Russian missile attacks from earlier in the day. Aerial surveillance indicates the missile fragments were from an S-300 Soviet era surface-to-air system fired by Ukraine.

While Russia continues to deny its involvement in the incident, NATO issued a statement following the Brussels meeting, condemning continued Russian aggression in Ukraine. 

“Let me be clear: this is not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg also stated the incident has not changed the military alliance’s threat assessment posed to its member states. As a result, Poland will not invoke Article 4 and will instead wait for a thorough investigation before taking further action.