The deadly missile incident in Poland is a 'propaganda gift' for the Ukrainians and Zelenskyy, Russia expert says

• Two people were killed after Russian-made missiles landed in Poland, according to reports.
• The incident could benefit Zelenskyy's efforts to stir up further assistance, a Russia expert said.

Two people were killed after Russian-made missiles reportedly landed in Poland on Tuesday, a US intelligence official told the Associated Press.

But what marks the first seeming spillover of Russia's war beyond Ukraine could ultimately benefit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's ongoing efforts to stir up additional assistance and support, a Russia expert told Insider.

"This is a propaganda gift for the Ukrainians," said Simon Miles, an assistant professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy and a historian of the Soviet Union and US-Soviet relations.

The missiles hit the eastern village of Przewodów which is located a short distance from Ukraine's western border, sparking a flurry of responses from global actors. Late Tuesday, Poland's foreign ministry confirmed the missile was Russian-made and landed in its territory.

The Russian defense ministry promptly denied the reports — a response that tracks with the country's trend of issuing blatant rejections, Miles said.

Whether or not the missiles landed in Poland as part of a targeted attack or by way of error, the incident nevertheless substantiates a point that Zelenskyy has been trying to get across for months, Miles said.

"The fear was that as the winter set in and Russia's coercive use of energy exploits had more effect, that more people would say this is just a Ukraine problem and I'm safe and sound on the other side of the border," he said.

Tuesday's episode, tragically, proves just the opposite, Miles added — a sentiment shared by US officials, who have yet to confirm the details of the reports.

"It is clear that incidents of this kind, whether intentional or unintentional, are the result of Russia's reckless war against the people of Ukraine and its indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets," said Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a statement Tuesday.

The Polish government convened an emergency security meeting on Tuesday and opted to increase its military readiness, an official said. The country also invoked NATO Article 4, according to Reuters, triggering an alliance meeting on Wednesday in which Poland will raise concerns about the incident with other member countries.

The Pentagon on Tuesday reiterated President Joe Biden's previous declaration that the US would "defend every inch of NATO territory."

On top of being a fatal tragedy for Poland, the Tuesday incident also bolsters Ukraine's ongoing wartime rhetoric.

"The key point the Ukrainians have been making — and I think they've been right — is that you should support us because this is about more than Ukraine," Miles said. "This is about European security and stability."

Zelenskyy has been pushing for increased NATO assistance since the start of the war and he wasted no time on Tuesday in re-upping his appeals, calling the incident an "attack on collective security."

"This is a very significant escalation," he said in his nightly address. "We must act."