Poland's foreign ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Mikhno on July 31, 2026 [1], to deliver a formal protest note regarding a missile incursion.
The incident escalates diplomatic tensions between Warsaw and Moscow as Poland accuses Russia of violating its national sovereignty during military operations against Ukraine.
A foreign ministry spokesperson said Poland summoned the ambassador and handed him the note after a Russian missile landed on Polish territory [2]. The ministry said the summons was specifically to lodge a protest over an object that fell in the southeast of the country [3].
According to Polish officials, the missile was part of a nightly barrage launched by Russia against Ukraine [4]. The projectile landed in an eastern Polish village, where it struck a house [5].
However, the origin of the projectile is a point of contradiction among officials. While the foreign ministry attributes the incursion to Russia, the Polish defence minister said the object that hit the house earlier this month was likely a missile fired by a Polish aircraft [5]. The minister said the aircraft was intended to shoot down Russian drones [5].
The diplomatic action took place on July 31, 2026 [1], as Poland sought a formal explanation for the breach of its airspace. The incident occurred amid ongoing regional instability and frequent Russian aerial strikes across the border in Ukraine [4].
“Poland summoned the Russian ambassador on Friday and handed him a protest note after a Russian missile landed on Polish territory”
This incident highlights the precarious security situation on NATO's eastern flank, where the line between Ukrainian and Polish airspace becomes blurred during active combat. The contradiction between the foreign ministry's diplomatic protest and the defence minister's suggestion of a friendly-fire incident indicates a complex internal assessment of the event, yet the decision to summon the ambassador suggests Warsaw intends to maintain a hard line against Russian aggression regardless of the missile's specific origin.
