In the first half of 2026, police in Poland received 180 reports of ethnically motivated crimes against Ukrainians. This is 30% more than in the same period last year, Politico Europe reports, citing the Polish outlet Rzeczpospolita.
According to the publication, the number of such reports is rising amid intensifying anti-Ukrainian rhetoric among Polish right-wing politicians ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2027. A survey by the state-run CBOS center showed that the share of Poles who feel sympathy toward Ukrainians fell from 51% in 2023 to 29% in January 2026. The level of antipathy rose from 38% to 43%.
Attacks and investigations
In July, two men were detained in Wroclaw after two Ukrainians — 20-year-old Anastasiia and her 21-year-old partner Maksym — were beaten near a grocery store. Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński condemned the attack, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the police for the detentions.
That same month, an off-duty employee of the municipal bus company in Bielsko-Biała insulted three Ukrainians on ethnic grounds on a bus. They included two 11-year-old schoolgirls. In August, a Ukrainian citizen was attacked on a tram in Poznan.
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At the beginning of 2026, Polish authorities established 50 specialized prosecutorial groups to investigate hate crimes. Between February and June, prosecutors sent 283 cases to court, with Ukrainians being the victims in more than 80% of them. By comparison, this figure was 4% in 2014 and 74% in 2023.
Statements by politicians
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in July that attackers had become bolder because they believed they had political patronage. He called on President Karol Nawrocki to publicly respond to violence against Ukrainians.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar told Politico Europe that part of Poland’s political establishment is using the Ukrainian issue for political gain. According to him, the response should be effective communication by politicians, media and officials, as well as resolving issues important to both countries. The Roman Catholic Church in Poland also called for refraining from inflaming nationalist sentiments.
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