The narratives about Ukraine launching a Russian missile towards Poland are yet another instance of anti-Ukrainian propaganda actively disseminated online.
A Russian strategic T-95 is shown attacking with an X-101 missile / © Associated Press
Conspiracy theories suggesting that Ukraine might have intentionally targeted Polish territory with a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, fragments of which were discovered near the settlement of Tarnawa-Kolonia, are circulating within the Polish segment of social media.
The Polish publication Radar has dismissed such claims as unsubstantiated, presenting a series of arguments that completely rule out the possibility of such a “provocation.”
According to the publication, the Lublin prosecutor’s office has effectively confirmed that the discovered munition is indeed a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. Consequently, the authors note, notions of its supposed launch by Ukraine represent another example of anti-Ukrainian narratives actively spreading on the internet.
Ukraine Could Not Have Obtained a Functional Missile
Radar’s first argument points to the practical impossibility of Ukraine acquiring a combat-ready Kh-101 missile.
The publication states that most of these missiles either reach their targets or are intercepted by Ukrainian air defense. Upon impact, they sustain critical damage, and the debris is used solely for forensic investigations, electronic analysis, and documenting Russian war crimes. Restoring such a missile to a state suitable for combat deployment is virtually impossible.
Ukraine Lacks Launch Platforms for the Kh-101
The second reason cited by the publication is the absence of aircraft in the Armed Forces of Ukraine capable of employing missiles of this type.
Radar reminds readers that the Kh-101 is a heavy air-launched cruise missile that can only be deployed by strategic bombers such as the Tu-95MS and Tu-160. Ukraine definitively divested itself of such aviation back in 2006 when the last aircraft were decommissioned or transferred to Russia as part of disarmament programs. Modern Ukrainian and Western fighter jets are not equipped to carry such heavy and large missiles.
Integrating a Russian Missile with Other Aircraft is Unrealistic
The third argument presented by the authors concerns the technical incompatibility of the Kh-101 missile with any other platforms.
The publication explains that even if a functional missile and a suitable aircraft were available, its use would necessitate months of integration with onboard systems, access to Russian technical documentation, specialized suspension units, software, and navigation systems. In Radar’s view, implementing such a project under wartime conditions is practically unfeasible.
Political Logic Refutes the “Provocation”
The fourth argument offered by the Polish publication is the absence of any political rationale for Ukraine to undertake such actions.
Journalists emphasize that Poland remains one of Kyiv’s key allies and the primary logistical route for Western military aid. Any deliberate attack on Polish territory would jeopardize the strategic partnership between the countries, inflict immense political and reputational damage on Ukraine, and yield no practical benefits.
Radar concludes that technical capabilities, military logic, and political circumstances unequivocally indicate the baselessness of the conspiracy theories circulating on Polish social networks regarding a supposed Ukrainian “provocation” involving the Kh-101 missile.
It is worth recalling that Russia’s Ambassador Georgy Mokhno received a protest note from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs after being summoned to the ministry following the missile incident in the Lublin Voivodeship on July 30th. The diplomat of the aggressor country was also urged to cease the war against Ukraine.
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