Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland rise roughly 30% over three years
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Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar (Photo: Vasyl Bodnar / Facebook)
The frequency of physical assaults and acts of aggression directed at Ukrainian citizens living in Poland has grown by approximately 30% over the last three years, Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bondar said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Official data released by the Polish National Police demonstrates a steady upward trend in documented incidents:
2024: 267 assaults or hostile xenophobic actions recorded
2025: 275 confirmed offenses
First half of 2026 (January–June): 180 cases already documented.
However, he stressed that this numerical rise must be contextualized within recent legislative reforms and evolving police record-keeping standards. Incidents that law enforcement agencies historically classified as common hooliganism, verbal disorderly conduct, or petty street fights are now consistently prosecuted under criminal statutes governing hate crimes motivated by national or ethnic hatred.
According to Bondar, Polish prosecutors actively oversaw 182 pre-trial criminal investigations concerning nationality-based hate crimes between January and June 2026.
The ambassador added that incidents of anti-Ukrainian harassment frequently gain widespread public visibility because victims or eyewitnesses record video footage and circulate it across social media platforms. In his view, while these viral recordings unavoidably heighten anxiety among the Ukrainian expatriate community, they simultaneously compel Polish law enforcement to act with greater urgency, transparency, and vigor.
In July, the Polish National Police announced enhanced measures specifically designed to counter hate crimes targeting Ukrainians across the country.
Beginning in 2026, Polish police precincts are evaluated under a specialized performance indicator that explicitly tracks the clearance rate of xenophobic hate offenses and the speed with which cases are prepared and transferred to court for indictment.
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