Ukrainian siblings attacked in Poland for speaking Ukrainian
Another attack on Ukrainian teens took part in Poland (Photo: Anadolu via Reuters/Jakub Porzycki)
A man and a woman attacked two Ukrainian teenagers in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz solely because they were conversing in the Ukrainian language, the Consulate General of Ukraine in Gdańsk reported on Aug. 16.
A 14-year-old girl and her 12-year-old brother were subjected to unprovoked aggression merely for speaking Ukrainian to each other, consular officials confirmed.
The assailants initially directed profanities and violent threats motivated by ethnic intolerance toward the siblings before escalating to physical assault. They twisted the boy's arm, destroyed his toy drone, and hurled the broken plastic fragments at him, causing scratches, the diplomatic mission noted.
The Consulate General of Ukraine in Gdańsk is monitoring the situation closely and remains in continuous contact with the children's mother.
A formal report was submitted to Polish police following the assault. Law enforcement authorities are working to locate and identify the suspected attackers.
Consular officials stated that while the children face no lingering physical danger, they suffered "severe emotional distress."
"We strongly condemn all manifestations of xenophobia. Combating intolerance and safeguarding the security of Ukrainians will be a focal topic during an upcoming meeting at the Consulate with Pomeranian Voivodeship leadership, municipal mayors, and police chiefs. We will ensure this incident receives an appropriate legal response," the statement read.
In July, Polish police announced reinforced initiatives to combat hate crimes targeting Ukrainians, introducing dedicated metrics to assess law enforcement effectiveness in investigating such cases and referring them for prosecution starting in 2026.
Since the beginning of 2026, Ukrainians residing in Poland have filed 180 formal complaints regarding hate-motivated offenses — a 30% increase compared to the previous year.
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