Missile that left crater in Poland probably Russian - PM

A missile that fell in eastern Poland overnight was likely Russian, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said, after authorities found a crater and scattered debris in a field following reports of an explosion.

Poland scrambled fighter jets to secure its airspace after Russian airstrikes killed at least eight people in neighbouring Ukraine, including one in Kyiv, the capital, in attacks that extended as far as the western city of Lviv.

"All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but we want to be 100% certain about the type of missile and who launched it," Mr Tusk told an emergency meeting.

"There was no direct threat because the missile landed in an uninhabited area; we were ready to shoot it down had it continued its flight," he added.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had said earlier in a post on X that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Poland.

The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The operational command of Poland's armed forces said earlier on X that "An unidentified object moving westward was detected in Polish airspace," adding that it disappeared from radars soon after it was seen at 3.40am local time.

An Mi-24 helicopter that went to the object's last location to verify and confirm the radar data pinpointed the likely crash site, it added.

"A helicopter crew located the probable crash site of the object in an undeveloped area near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia in Lublin province," it said.

The object left a crater about 10m wide, the interior ministry added on X.

According to local authorities, it was located in farmland about 2km from residential buildings.

Police in the Lublin region said they received a report of a loud bang in Bilgoraj county, between the villages of Tarnawa-Kolonia and Biskupice.

"Officers discovered a crater and scattered debris from an unidentified object in a field located about 2km from the nearest buildings, between the villages," the police added on X.

Sirens sounded in Lublin for a few minutes to warn against possible Russian strikes, media said.

One of the dozens of missiles fired by Russia overnight struck a village house near the Ukrainian central city of Kryvyi Rig, local authorities said, killing three adults and three children from the same family.

"It was an ordinary home, blown into smithereens by a ballistic missile," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"Two more children were pulled out alive," he added.

The regional governor published photos of rescuers sifting through the rubble of a small house.

The attacks, which involved 74 missiles and 284 drones according to the air force, also resulted in casualties in the capital Kyiv, and in Poltava.

Russia's defence ministry said it had hit Ukrainian military-industrial complex, military communications and logistics centres.

Ukraine's air force said it managed to intercept 55 missiles and 265 drones launched by Moscow.

Mr Zelensky renewed his call for more supplies of air defence to protect Ukraine against Russia's ballistic missiles.

"Given the critical shortage of air defense missiles from our partners, our warriors are accomplishing truly incredible things," he said.

The Ukrainian leader on Tuesday had discussed anti-ballistic defence with US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House and discussed the possibility of Ukraine producing anti-ballistic Patriot interceptors.

Mr Zelensky said he had a "good meeting" with Mr Trump and said the US president "accepted that he will give us (Patriot) licenses".

Kyiv has throughout the war developed ways to defend itself against Russian drones and missiles, but super-fast ballistic missiles remain a challenge.

Of more than 120 ballistic missiles fired by Russia this month, Ukraine has downed less than a third of them, according to data from Kyiv's air force.

That compares to an interception rate for drones of around 90%.