Kyiv after Russian missile strikes on 10 October 2022. Crossroad of Volodymyrska Street and Taras Shevchenko Boulevard. (Source: Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv)
By Gary Raynaldo – DIPLOMATIC TIMES
PENTAGON – WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. Department of Defense is investigating reports that Russia fired missiles on NATO member Poland, killing two people, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday. At least two people were killed after Russian missiles landed in an eastern Polish village on Tuesday, a US intelligence official told the Associated Press. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters at a press briefing the Pentagon is “aware” of media reports of Russian missile strikes in Poland that killed two people, but says those reports cannot be corroborated “at this time.” He said the DOD is taking the reports seriously and looking into them. Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki called an urgent meeting of the country’s security and defence councils. The missile reportedly landed outside rural Polish village of Przewodow, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) west from the Ukrainian border.
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo /©Diplomatic Times) Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder briefs reporters on the Russia-Ukraine situation at the Pentagon in Washington DC Nov. 15, 2022.
U.S. Would Defend NATO Land Amid Reports Russia fired on Poland: Pentagon
In response to a question from a reporter regarding possible US reaction, Pentagon Press Secretary Ryder said:
“When it comes to our security commitments and Article 5 we’ve been crystal clear that we will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO’s founding document, says that any attack on a NATO member in Europe or North America “shall be considered an attack against them all.”
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo /©Diplomatic Times) Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder briefs reporters on the Russia-Ukraine situation at the Pentagon in Washington DC Nov. 15, 2022.
Pentagon takes the force protection of U.S. troops in Poland “very seriously”
When asked during Tuesday’s press briefing how concerned is the DOD about the force protection of U.S. troops in Poland, the Pentagon press-secretary responded:
“…when it comes to force protection, we always take the safety and security of our troops, no matter where they’re serving, very seriously. And so we’re — we’re very confident in any force protection measures that we take, whether it be Poland or elsewhere.”
