Polish president to convene security council over alleged Russian missile strikes

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - Poland’s President Andrzej Duda will convene the National Security Council on Wednesday to discuss the NATO member’s response to alleged Russian missiles that killed two Poles on Polish territory, said the head of the president's Cabinet, Pawel Szrot.

The National Security Council is an advisory body to the president in the field of internal and external security of the state. It consists of the marshals of the Sejm, or lower house of Poland’s legislature, and the Senate, the prime minister, the head of the Ministry of National Defense, the minister of the interior and administration, minister of foreign affairs, minister coordinating the special services, the heads of groups with a parliamentary or parliamentary club, the head of the president's chancellery and the head of the National Security Bureau.

Warsaw said it is considering calling on NATO to trigger Article 4, which permits members of the alliance to call a NATO meeting when they perceive a threat to the “territorial integrity, political independence or security” of any NATO ally.

Two people died in explosions in the village of Przewodow, a few kilometers from Poland’s border with Ukraine.

Radio Lublin reported that emergency services and representatives of the army are working at a farm’s grain drying site where the explosion occurred around 3.40 p.m. local time.

Police did not give the reasons for the explosion.

The explosion occurred 500-600 meters from a primary school. The area near the explosion site is closed.

If confirmed, this would be the first time someone has been killed on NATO territory as the result of a Russian strike. All NATO members are obliged to protect and defend every part of the alliance’s territory under Articles 4 and 5 of the alliance’s treaty.

A US intelligence official said the missiles were Russian, according to the Associated Press.

The situation follows an attack by Russian forces on energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. Some of the missiles hit the western part of the country, close to the border with Poland.

Poland has been one of the most vociferous advocates of arming and supporting Ukraine against Russia.