Poland Treads Lightly With Russia Amid Fears Missile Hit Could Spark War

Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country was "acting with calm" after reports that a Russian-made missile struck near the Poland-Ukraine border on Tuesday, killing two in an eastern Polish village.

According to a report from the Associated Press (AP), Duda said Poland's officials did not know for sure who fired the missile, but that it "most probably" came from Russia.

"We are acting with calm," Duda said, according to the report. "This is a difficult situation."

Poland, along with officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), have approached the situation with caution and have not yet stated whether they believe the missile was a misfire or deliberate attack from Russia. AP reported that NATO officials called the explosion a "tragic accident."

The missile hit comes as tensions between Russia and the West continue to grow in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike "a very significant escalation in the conflict" and asked his allies to take action.

Russia released a statement through its state-run media organization TASS, calling reports of a Russian missile striking in Poland a "deliberate provocation."

"The Russian armed forces did not strike any targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border," the Russian Defense Ministry said in the statement.

The explosion on Tuesday also ignited fears of an approaching World War III on Twitter, as users discussed the potential of NATO getting involved in the war in Ukraine. NATO is currently made up of 30 nation-states, including Western forces like the United States, and members have vocally sided with Ukraine as well as provided military aid and relief since Russia's invasion in late February.

However, as AP pointed out, there are several potential explanations for the missile hit on Tuesday other than it being a direct attack on NATO soil, including the chance that Ukrainian forces had diverted a missile during Russia's latest air raid that caused wide-spread energy blackouts across the country.

Retired Army General Ben Hodges, who commanded the U.S. Army in Europe, told Newsweek on Tuesday that he "doubts" the missile was an intentional attack from Russia.

"I don't think this was deliberate," Hodges said, noting that the Polish government "seem pretty measured" and "calm about it."