Erdogan ‘respects’ Moscow's statement on Poland missile incident

Biden and other leaders do not believe that the projectile was Russian-made, the president of Türkiye said

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected Polish claims that a “Russian-made missile” killed two of its citizens near the border with Ukraine on Tuesday.

The US and other countries said the missile was not Russian-made, the leader of Türkiye told journalists on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia, when asked about the incident.

Erdogan added that he respected Russia’s statements disclaiming responsibility for the incident in the border village of Przewodow. A proper investigation of what had happened is essential, he added.

The deaths in Poland took place amid a massive missile strike on various parts of Ukraine. President Vladimir Zelensky rushed to accuse Moscow of delivering a missile strike on a NATO member and urged the military bloc to retaliate.

READ MORE: Ukraine blames Russia for alleged ‘missile strike’ on Poland

The Polish Foreign Ministry said a “Russian-made missile” landed in Przewodow, and summoned the Russian ambassador to demand an explanation.

The Russian Defense Ministry denied any connection to the incident, stating that its operation didn’t extend to the location of the incident.

US President Joe Biden said it was “unlikely” that the missile was fired by Russia, but said further investigation was necessary.

READ MORE: Missile downed by Ukraine crashes across international border – interior ministry

According to unnamed US officials cited by Associated Press, the weapon was likely a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile that went astray. If true, the projectile probably came from the old Soviet stockpile that Ukraine inherited after the collapse of the USSR.

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