Violence against Ukrainians in Poland jumps 30%, ambassador says
Photo: Vasyl Bondar, Ukraine's ambassador to Poland (Getty Images)
Over the past three years, the number of attacks on Ukrainians in Poland has increased by 30%, according to Vasyl Bondar, Ukraine's ambassador to Poland.
"We have statistics from the police indicating that in 2024, there were 267 incidents of attacks on Ukrainians, or acts of aggression. In 2025, there were 275. In the first half of 2026, there were already 180. So, we are indeed seeing an increase of approximately 30 percent," says Bondar.
At the same time, he notes, these figures must be interpreted in light of changes in both legislation and the practices for classifying and recording such offenses.
Acts that might previously have been considered mere hooliganism or insults are now more often classified as crimes motivated by ethnic hatred.
This entails a different legal assessment, which carries harsher penalties but also affects the statistical figures.
"The data presented reflects statistics on crimes or offenses committed on ethnic grounds. Data from the Polish Prosecutor's Office also indicate that 182 pretrial proceedings concerning these specific crimes were ongoing between January and June 2026," the ambassador clarifies.
He notes that such acts of aggression against Ukrainian citizens are becoming particularly noticeable in public spaces, as victims or witnesses often post video recordings on social media.
"On the one hand, this heightens the sense of danger among other citizens. On the other hand, it generates public attention and prompts the competent authorities to respond quickly," Bondar adds.
Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland
Recently, the media have been reporting more and more frequently on new attacks against Ukrainians in Poland.
On August 14, in a park near the train station in Bydgoszcz, two adults, a man and a woman, got into a confrontation with a 14-year-old Ukrainian girl and her 12-year-old brother.
According to preliminary reports, the incident was triggered by the Ukrainian language the children were speaking to each other.
The attackers, who were walking their dog, insulted the children with profanity, threatened them because of their nationality, and used physical force.
The incident received widespread attention in Poland. The country's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, also responded to it. He condemned the attack on the children and stated that such behavior was unacceptable.
On August 5 in Kraków, a man threatened two Ukrainians and struck a woman in the face.
Polish police launched an investigation, while the Consulate General of Ukraine condemned the incident and urged people not to ignore acts of aggression.
These and other incidents sparked mass protests—demonstrations under the slogan Don't Be Indifferent took place in 22 cities across Poland.
Participants demanded that the authorities take tougher measures to protect foreigners from violence.
