Hate Crimes Against Ukrainians Rise 30% in Poland

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has strongly condemned a series of xenophobic attacks targeting Ukrainians in Poland, calling for an immediate end to the violence. He was responding to an incident in Wroclaw, where three men allegedly assaulted a Ukrainian man and his girlfriend.

“Anyone who commits such heinous acts is acting directly against Poland's interests. You are working against Poland, in favor of Russia and in favor of Polish and Ukrainian nationalism”, Tusk said.

According to Polish police data, the number of reported hate crimes against Ukrainians rose by 30% in the first half of 2026, reaching 180 cases.

Although Warsaw continues to provide military support to Kyiv, public support has shown signs of fatigue after years of hosting Ukrainian refugees. Relations have also been strained by long-standing historical disputes over the wartime actions of Ukrainian nationalist insurgents during World War II. In June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki further underscored those tensions by stripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of a Polish state honor.

(Reuters, Max)