Zelensky disputes assessment that Ukrainian air defense missile responsible for deadly explosion in Poland

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Following a preliminary assessment from Poland and NATO that a Ukrainian air defense missile is responsible for Tuesday’s deadly explosion in Poland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disagreed

Zelensky said on Wednesday, “I don’t even doubt that report that I have received, that Zaluzhny received, from the Air Defense command. I don’t doubt that it wasn’t our missile. I don’t have a reason to doubt them, I am going through this war with them.”

Wednesday afternoon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States has seen nothing to contradict Poland’s initial assessment. When asked directly about Zelensky’s pushback, Austin said, “Our information supports what [Polish] President [Andrzej] Duda said earlier in his preliminary assessment was that this was most likely, most likely a result of a Ukrainian air defense missile. But we’ll let the investigation play out here.”

General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that on Tuesday Ukraine faced an aerial barrage from Russia that was likely the largest bombing wave seen since Russia began the war in Ukraine. Gen. Milley said the civilian power grid was targeted and many were left without power. He said it was a Russian effort to terrorize civilians and lower the morale of Ukrainian people as winter approaches.

Gen. Milley said, “the deliberate targeting of the civilian power grid causing excessive collateral damage and unnecessary suffering on the civilian population is a war crime.”

U.S. defense officials also said that Ukraine needs an integrated air-defense system to repel Russian air attacks, and said there were conversations today with other countries on providing systems to Ukraine.