One of the men killed by a missile that hit a Polish village this week will be buried on Saturday, following an incident that has raised fears that the war in Ukraine could spiral into a wider conflict.
Poland and other western states have said the missile that landed in Przewodów, a village near the border with Ukraine, was a Ukrainian air defence missile that went astray in pursuit of a Russian missile.
Kyiv cast doubt on this version and has demanded access to the site and a role in the investigation into the cause of the explosion.
For the village itself, the blast has plunged residents into mourning after two people died in the strike.
“It is sad for the family and the community,” said 67-year-old retired mechanic Ryszard Turczanik as he made his way towards the church. “Everybody is in deep sadness and we are going on this final road.”
Before the funeral, local priest Bogdan Wazny described the victims as being “very kind people”. Villagers told how they had helped Ukrainian refugees.
Television footage showed mourners entering the Holy Brother Albert church in Przewodów as two rows of soldiers looked on.
The man buried on Saturday, named in most Polish media only as 62-year-old Boguslaw W, was working at a grain-drying facility in the village when the missile struck. Most media outlets have not published the victims’ surnames out of consideration for their families.
The funeral of the second victim, 60-year-old Bogdan C, will take place on Sunday.
While the people of Przewodów have been left deeply shaken, the mayor of the municipality in which the village is located stressed the resilience of local people.
“We really are a tough community,” Grzegorz Drewnik said on Friday.
“We learned that we live under stress, we know that we live close to the border with Ukraine. We must be prepared for various inconveniences and stressful situations. We will endure it.”
Warsaw, Kyiv and their western allies have said that ultimate responsibility for the explosion lies with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February and has been pounding Ukrainian energy facilities with missiles.