Why Missile Incident Could Sour Relations with Poland

What has long been discussed unofficially has now been officially confirmed. According to the Polish side, a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile hit a grain dryer near the Polish village of Przewodów on 15 November 2022, resulting in the deaths of two people.

Read about a potential new crisis due to the investigation results in the column by Yurii Panchenko, European Pravda editor, Worse than missile attack: Why Ukraine should take responsibility for strike on Poland.

From the very beginning, as soon as the version of Ukrainian military involvement was voiced, the Polish authorities consistently emphasised that this was a tragic accident, for which Russia was still responsible. Without Russian shelling, there would have been no need to launch this missile.

Likewise, a survey conducted in Poland a few weeks after the incident showed that an overwhelming majority of Poles, 70.3% of respondents, believe that it will not affect Polish-Ukrainian relations.

However, Ukraine's position was categorical. Official Kyiv ruled out any possibility that this missile belonged to Ukraine.

So, on the one hand, in Poland, as a year ago, it is clear that Russia bears the blame for this tragic incident, which is a result of the war.

"But the consequences can continue if Kyiv persists in denying the obvious.

If the Ukrainian authorities have substantial evidence that the strike on Przewodów was carried out by the Russian army, then this evidence should be made public.

And if not, then responsibility should be acknowledged," says Yurii Panchenko.

After all, it is well known, the author reminds us, that nothing ruins relations like falsehood.

The mistakes made by the Ukrainian authorities in November of last year may turn out to be trivial compared to the problems that will arise if we cling to untruths.