Hate crimes have risen by around 30%, Kiev’s ambassador to Warsaw has said
Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland have continued to rise as public attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees deteriorate, Kiev’s ambassador to Warsaw, Vasily Bondar, has said. His remarks came a day after a Ukrainian man was detained over a deadly knife attack at a Catholic abbey in southeastern Poland.
Polish police recorded 180 attacks or acts of aggression against Ukrainians in the first half of 2026, Bondar told RBK Ukraine in an interview published on Friday. There were 275 such incidents in all of 2025, up from 267 in 2024.
“We do see an increase of around 30%,” the diplomat said. He added that more incidents are now being classified as hate crimes against Ukrainians rather than ordinary domestic offenses.
Bondar also said Ukrainians committed 10,800 offenses in Poland during the first half of 2026, but argued the figure was statistically insignificant given that around 2 million Ukrainian nationals live in the country.
His comments came a day after a 31-year-old Ukrainian man allegedly stabbed five people at a Benedictine abbey in Jaroslaw, killing a priest and injuring four others. Polish authorities have said they are still investigating the motive and circumstances of the attack.
The incident comes amid worsening Polish attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees and continued tensions between Warsaw and Kiev over historical disputes, including Ukraine’s veneration of nationalist figures associated with the WWII-era massacres of ethnic Poles.
Bondar acknowledged that Polish society has a “consolidated public opinion” that is “highly negative” toward some historical figures regarded as heroes in Ukraine. He nevertheless argued that Kiev “could not give up its national interests” for the sake of better relations with Warsaw.
A July survey by polling agency CBOS found that, for the first time since it began tracking the issue, a majority of Poles opposed accepting Ukrainian refugees. Some 52% were against taking them in, compared with 42% in favor.
A separate CBOS survey conducted in July found that 53% of Poles believed reconciliation with Ukrainians was possible – the lowest level recorded – while 38% said it was impossible.
