Firefighters work to put out a fire in a residential building hit by a Russian missile attack in Kiev on Tuesday.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
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Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Firefighters work to put out a fire in a residential building hit by a Russian missile attack in Kiev on Tuesday.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
NUSA DUA, Indonesia and KYIV, Ukraine — President Biden said it was unlikely that a missile that caused an explosion in eastern Poland was launched from Russia, but he said the information was “preliminary” and said Poland’s allies would support an investigation.
The explosion came after Russia launched a wave of missile attacks on cities across Ukraine on Tuesday, hitting residential buildings and knocking out electricity in urban areas. In neighboring Poland, two people were killed in an explosion at a wheat processing plant just miles from its border with western Ukraine.
In a late-night press release, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “a Russian-made missile had fallen in the village of Przewodów” and summoned the Russian ambassador to demand an “immediate and detailed explanation”.
Earlier, the Polish government held an emergency meeting to deal with a “crisis situation”, according to a government spokesman, and planned to use Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which allows member countries to “consult together ” if the “territorial integrity, political independence or security” of any of them is threatened.
Russia, meanwhile, said any suggestion its weapons had hit Poland was a “deliberate provocation”.
President Biden convened G-7 leaders for an emergency meeting to discuss the outbreak. They were in Bali for the G-20 summit.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden convened G-7 leaders for an emergency meeting to discuss the outbreak. They were in Bali for the G-20 summit.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Biden calls an emergency meeting in Bali
The attacks came as world leaders gathered in Bali for the G-20 summit.
President Biden brought a small group together — the heads of the G-7 countries, as well as the European Union and the European Commission — for an emergency meeting on the outbreak in Poland.
Biden was then asked if the missile had come from Russia.
“There is preliminary information that contradicts that,” Biden said. “I don’t want to say that until we fully investigate it. But it’s unlikely … that it was shot by Russia,” Biden said, referring to the “trajectory.”
“But we’ll see,” he said.
Biden had earlier called Polish President Andrzej Duda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. In his conversation with Duda, the White House said he reaffirmed “the ironclad commitment of the US to NATO.”
Biden said he briefed leaders on the calls and they agreed to support Poland in its investigation. “I will make sure we understand exactly what happened,” he said.
He also condemned the attacks on Ukraine, calling them “completely unconscionable” and said the United States will do whatever it takes to support Ukraine.
President Biden speaks to reporters after the emergency meeting he called about the situation in Poland.
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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden speaks to reporters after the emergency meeting he called about the situation in Poland.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
#BREAKER: #Kiev The mayor reports attacks in the capital of Ukraine, says that 2 residential buildings were hit.#Ukraine #ukrainian #russiaukrainian war #a news pic.twitter.com/TKVhxCosSq
— ANnews (@anews) November 15, 2022
Ukraine says Russia has fired about 100 missiles
In Ukraine, the air force said Russia fired about 100 missiles into Ukraine over several hours Tuesday afternoon and evening.
“Does anyone seriously think the Kremlin really wants peace?” Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said further I tweet. “She wants conviction. But at the end of the day, terrorists always lose.”
The attacks came a day after the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution saying Russia should be held accountable for its war in Ukraine and asked to pay reparations. And just last Friday, Russia suffered a major military setback as it was forced to withdraw from the strategically important southern city of Kherson.
Ukraine said it shot down about 70 of the 100 incoming missiles, but others hit their targets in the capital Kiev, the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the western city of Lviv and the southern city of Odesa, among others.
In Kiev, two residential buildings were hit and one person was killed, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Video posted by the mayor’s office showed an apartment building in Kiev engulfed in flames and thick smoke.
Half of Kiev loses power
The mayor also said that about half of the capital was without electricity.
The northeastern city of Kharkiv was without power, according to officials there.
“The United States strongly condemns Russia’s recent missile attacks against Ukraine,” said Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, who was at the G-20 in Bali.
“The United States and our allies and partners will continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend itself, including air defense systems. We will stand with Ukraine as long as it takes,” Sullivan said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Zelenskyy spoke to the G-20 by video, saying his country is determined to retake all its territory occupied by Russia.
“To liberate all our land, we will have to fight for a long time,” Zelenskyy said.
There are several international calls for peace talks to end the war in Ukraine. But Zelenskyy noted that the two countries reached interim agreements after Russia first invaded in 2014.
Russia used this period of relative calm to regroup militarily, he said, adding that Ukraine would not fall into this again.
We will not allow Russia to wait for us and build up its forces,” Zelenskyy said.
In his speech, the president repeatedly referred to the G20 as the “G19,” saying Russia should be excluded.
Russia returns to air power
With Russia’s ground forces unable to make much progress in recent months, and being pushed back significantly on many occasions, Russia is increasingly relying on airstrikes.
Russia launched a heavy bombing campaign against Ukraine’s power systems in October, damaging about 40% of the country’s electricity system, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian workers have been trying to repair the damaged power grid. However, many parts of the country, including the capital, were suffering power outages for hours every day, even before the latest attack.
The Russian airstrikes come as temperatures plummet and a long, cold winter approaches.
Ukraine’s limited air defenses have proven more effective than expected in protecting key government and military facilities.
However, the recent Russian campaign has targeted such a wide range of civilian and energy facilities that Ukraine has not been able to protect them all.
Franco Ordoñez reported from Nusa Dua; Greg Myre from Kiev.
