Russian missile falls in Poland; Warsaw scrambles F-16s
A stray Kh-101 crossed into NATO airspace, testing Poland's response and alliance resolve.
Russian missile falls in Poland; Warsaw scrambles F-16s — In the night of July 30, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed the Polish border and fell in a field near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia in the Lublin Voivodeship, about 100 kilometers into Polish territory, leaving a crater about 10 meters in diameter and up to five meters deep.[^1] The Polish military scrambled F-16 fighters and were ready to destroy the target if it moved toward populated areas.[^1] Warsaw's response was described as 'resolute,' though the missile's trajectory and the decision to let it impact rather than intercept raise questions about the rules of engagement for stray ordnance over NATO territory.[^1] According to Polish authorities, Russia launched 74 missiles and 284 drones in the massive strike on Ukraine that night.[^1] The incident follows a pattern of Russian incursions into NATO airspace, but the depth of penetration and the crater's size suggest a failure of both Russian targeting and Polish defensive protocols. The Polish military's readiness to shoot down the missile if it threatened populated areas indicates a threshold-based approach, but the fact that it was allowed to fall in a field may signal a reluctance to escalate or a gap in radar coverage.[^1] Also on July 31, Polish F-16s intercepted a Russian Il-20 over the Baltic with its transponder off.[^1] This second incident within hours underscores the heightened state of alert and the frequency of Russian military activity near NATO's eastern flank. The Polish response, combining restraint on the ground and assertiveness in the air, reflects a careful calibration of deterrence and de-escalation. Yet the question remains: what happens when a stray missile lands closer to a town, or when an intercept fails? Likud reserved slots, Ra'am crossover, and a vandalized billboard — Reserve Brig. Gen. Dror Shalom, in his first interview since leaving the Defense Ministry, called the idea of toppling the Iranian regime an illusion — a stark admission of strategic limits that hangs over an election season now 87 days from the vote.[^1] His words land as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud Central Committee Chairman Haim