The Polish national team, which flew to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, was yesterday escorted by F-16 fighter jets after Tuesday night’s deadly missile attack.
Two Polish citizens were killed in the attack in the east of the country, six kilometers from the Ukrainian border, as Ukraine continues to defend itself against the Russian invasion.
Authorities are still trying to determine exactly where the missile came from, with early indications that a Ukrainian air defense system was trying to counter the Russian bombardment – a claim Ukraine has denied.
In a sign that Poland is taking no chances after the deadly attack, photos released by the country on Thursday showed a passenger plane carrying its national soccer team escorted by two F-16 fighter jets.
“We were escorted by F16 planes to the southern border of Poland!” posted the national team’s Twitter account yesterday.
“Thank you and greetings to the pilots!”
Scroll down for videos
The Polish national team, which flew to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, was escorted by F-16 fighter jets on Thursday after Tuesday night’s missile attack. Pictured: The Polish national team’s passenger plane is seen next to an F-16 fighter jet
Photos of the three different planes were shared.
The fighter jets flew almost wing to wing alongside the passenger plane, which was decked out in Poland’s national colors of red and white.
“Republic of Poland” was written on the side of the passenger plane. The rear wing is decorated with pictures of historical figures from Poland with the years 1918 – 2018.
One message read in Polish: “100. Commemoration of Poland’s regaining of independence”.
The video also showed the national team posing for a farewell photo with staff before boarding the plane. Images taken through a passenger plane window showed the two fighter jets flying side by side.
Superstar captain Robert Lewandowski and his teammates are hoping to get Poland out of Group C for their first round of 16 since 1986.
Poland qualified for the World Cup from the same group as England and finished second, six points behind.
In a sign that Poland is taking no chances after the deadly attack, photos released by the country on Thursday show a passenger plane carrying the national team being escorted by two F-16 fighter jets (pictured).
Pictured: Poland’s national team and staff pose for a photo near the plane
They were then awarded a bye to their play-off semi-finals as Russia were banned from the tournament due to their invasion of Ukraine.
Poland then triumphed over Sweden in the play-off final at home, defeating Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Co. 0-2.
The World Cup kicks off on Sunday with a draw between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. Poland meet Mexico for the first time on Tuesday.
Next, Czeslaw Michniewicz meets Saudi Arabia on Saturday (26 November) before taking on tournament favorites Argentina on Wednesday 30 November.
Images taken through a passenger plane window showed the fighter jets flying side by side
The video also showed the national team posing for a farewell photo with staff before boarding the plane
Russia on Tuesday unleashed a nationwide barrage of more than 100 missiles and drones that killed 10 million people in Ukraine in strikes described by Ukraine’s energy minister as the biggest attack on the country’s battered power grid in nearly nine months of war.
The attack led to a missile landing in Poland, killing two people.
On Thursday, Polish President Andrzej Duda visited the site where the missile landed and expressed understanding for Ukraine’s plight. “It’s a tremendously difficult situation for them and there’s a lot of emotion, there’s also a lot of stress,” Duda said.
On Wednesday, he called the strike an “unfortunate accident.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels: “It is not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears the ultimate responsibility for continuing its illegal war against Ukraine.”
Stoltenberg also said it was likely a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile.
An aerial view of the grain processing warehouse in eastern Poland that was hit by a missile. Warsaw says the guns were “very likely” fired by Ukraine, but Zelensky has denied that account
The conflict also echoed in European courts this week when a Dutch judge on Thursday sentenced two Russians and a Ukrainian to life in prison for shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said the trajectories indicated the missile was unlikely to have been launched from Russia. Russia has denied responsibility.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, also appeared to revise Kiev’s position that it was a Russian missile that hit Poland.
“Our experts are already in Poland,” Kuleba tweeted. “We expect that, in cooperation with the Polish law enforcement authorities, they will gain quick access to the site.”
The conflict also echoed in European courts this week when a Dutch judge on Thursday sentenced two Russians and a Ukrainian to life in prison for shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board.
None of the suspects from that earlier phase of hostilities were present in court or likely to serve their sentences, leading Selensky to welcome the “significant” ruling but hold those responsible accountable.
The Kremlin dismissed the ruling as politically motivated, while Australia accused Moscow of “harboring murderers”.
Polish rocket victims exposed: First photos of driver and warehouse worker emerge
These are the faces of two Polish farm workers who died yesterday when a stray Ukrainian missile hit them, sparking a major diplomatic incident.
Bogusław Wos, 62, a grain store foreman, and Bogdan Ciupek, 60, a tractor driver, were killed at around 3.40pm on Tuesday when an S-300 missile hit the town of Przewodow in eastern Poland near the border with Ukraine has.
Camp manager Bogusław Wos, 62 (left), and tractor driver Bogdan Ciupek, 60 (right), have been named as the two men killed in a missile attack on Poland yesterday afternoon.
Terrified locals reported hearing “strange whistling sounds” as the missile passed overhead, and then “a huge explosion, about a thousand decibels” when it hit.
Neighbors say Boguslaw worked in the grain elevator warehouse for 40 years and lived with his wife and elderly mother-in-law, whom they both cared for.
The Przewodow resident reportedly has two grown children who now live in the southern Polish city of Kraków.
Bogdan, who worked as a driver at the grain drying plant, lived in the nearby village of Setniki.
Source link
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
