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What the Przewodów missile blast meant for Poland
Summary
A retrospective on the 15 November 2022 strike in eastern Poland and the assessment that followed on 16 November.
What did the missile that fell on Przewodów mean for the war, and for Ukraine's neighbours? On 16 November 2022, the question was still being settled, a day after a missile strike killed two people in the village in eastern Poland.
The assessment shifted quickly. U.S. officials had earlier told the Associated Press that preliminary findings suggested the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, then said the blast was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile.
Why it mattered
The strike came during Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, and it was the first time a foreign missile had hit NATO territory during the invasion. Initially, Ukraine accused Russia of striking Poland. The U.S. account pointed elsewhere: a defensive missile aimed at a Russian one.
What came later
The U.S. assessment was later confirmed. In September 2023, the Polish Prosecutor's Office stated that the explosion was caused by an out-of-control Ukrainian S-300 air defence missile.
On 16 November 2022, then, the central point was already clear: the deaths in Przewodów were linked to a missile fired in defence against Russian strikes, not a deliberate Russian attack on Poland.
