According to numerous reports, the Associated Press newswire service cites false claims by an unnamed US official that Russia launched a missile to strike Polish territory on Nov. 16, killing two people. reportedly fired a journalist who
The Daily Beast first report Investigative journalist and former U.S. Marine James LaPorta was fired Monday, citing misleading and anonymous allegations.
The Epoch Times has reached out to LaPorta and AP for confirmation and comment.
Ultimately, NATO officials and the Polish government said it was actually a Ukrainian missile that landed in Poland.
Russian missile strikes inside NATO member Poland threatened a serious escalation of war between Ukraine and Russia that, if proved to be true, could drag more countries into the conflict. . Fear spread on social media that it could lead to World War III.
The Associated Press later corrected the article online, saying it “wrongly reported” based on the allegations of “a senior American official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”
“Subsequent reports indicated that the missile was Russian-made and most likely launched by Ukraine to counter a Russian attack,” the newswire said in it. fix November 16th.
The Associated Press did not disclose the identity of an unnamed US official or the agency. But the official said a Russian missile was fired at Poland, killing two people.
Nothing Suggesting ‘Deliberate Attack’: Poland
After it was revealed that the missiles came from Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda wrestled that there was nothing to suggest the missile strike was a “deliberate attack”.
“Ukrainian defenses have been firing missiles in different directions and unfortunately it is very likely that one of these missiles fell on Polish territory,” Duda said in a November 16 statement. It was a deliberate attack on Poland. “
Ahead of the Polish president’s statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had denounced the incident as a “very serious escalation” of the war with Russia, blaming Russia.
After Zelenskiy’s comments, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a statement that “two people were killed when a Russian-made missile was dropped on a Polish village near the Ukrainian border” in the early morning hours of November 16. . Polish citizen.
Meanwhile, Russian social media accounts posted images of the missile’s fragments, revealing it to be the type of missile also used by Ukraine.
Russia denies involvement despite firing into Ukraine
From the outset, Russia categorically rejected allegations of Russian involvement, accusing Polish media and officials of deliberately seeking to provoke an escalation of the war by involving NATO member states.
“Polish media and officials are making a deliberate provocation to escalate the situation by releasing statements claiming that a ‘Russian-made’ rocket hit Přełodov,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. rice field. statement at the time.
“Russian firepower has not launched a strike in the area between the Ukrainian-Polish border.
But NATO and the White House ultimately blamed Russia, saying Ukraine was forced to defend itself from a November 15 Russian missile attack.
“However, whatever the final outcome, it is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia. Ukraine has and still has every right to defend itself,” White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrian Watson said in a statement. Stated.
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Caden Pearson is a reporter based in Australia. To contact him, please contact [email protected]