EditUkrainian national kills priest in Polish abbey attack; Zelenskyy condemns crime
The suspect is detained as Warsaw–Kyiv tensions over history and grain leave the incident open to political exploitation
A 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen stabbed five people on Thursday morning at the Benedictine abbey complex in Jarosław, in Poland’s Podkarpacie region near the Ukrainian border. One Catholic priest, Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz, died. Four others were wounded, including other clergy; at least two were reported in critical condition.
Police detained the suspect at the scene. Prosecutors said he had entered Poland from Germany earlier that day and used a knife taken from a kitchen on the grounds. Officials have not established a motive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded within hours. In posts in Polish, English and Ukrainian, he called the attack a “horrific crime,” said Ukraine was “shaken by this evil,” offered condolences to the priest’s family, and demanded that the perpetrator “bear full responsibility in accordance with the law.” He asked for a swift and thorough investigation.
A heavy background
The killing lands in a relationship already under strain. Poland remains a major logistical and political backer of Ukraine’s war effort, but public and political sentiment has hardened. In May 2026 Zelenskyy granted a Ukrainian special-forces unit the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA.” Poland regards the wartime Ukrainian Insurgent Army as responsible for the Volhynia massacres of tens of thousands of Polish civilians; President Karol Nawrocki answered in June by stripping Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest decoration, the Order of the White Eagle.
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Agricultural disputes persist: Warsaw still blocks selected Ukrainian farm imports, and on the same day as the Jarosław attack Polish customs banned storage of transit Ukrainian grain in warehouses. Refugee fatigue and occasional street violence against Ukrainians have added to the tension.
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A lone attacker’s crime is not state policy. But in a climate of historical grievance and economic friction, incidents like this are easily turned into proof by those who want to drive a wedge between Warsaw and Kyiv. Zelenskyy’s rapid condemnation is an attempt to close that opening before it is used.
Caption: Police barriers at the scene of a knife attack on the grounds of the Jaroslaw Abbey on Benedyktynska Street in Jaroslaw, southeastern Poland, 24 September 2026. The assailant was detained, and the injured were taken to hospital. EPA/Piotr Polak
Updated: September 24, 2026 - 18:14
