Ukrainian man stabs five at Polish convent
A Ukrainian man has stabbed five people at a Catholic convent in southeastern Poland, killing a priest, according to local authorities.
The attack occurred at around 9:30 AM on Thursday at the Benedictine abbey complex in Jaroslaw, in Poland’s Podkarpackie region, which borders Ukraine.
According to preliminary findings, the suspect took a knife from a kitchen at the complex. The attack took place inside the church as clergy and worshippers were preparing for Mass.
The priest who died from his injuries had been hearing confessions ahead of the service and reportedly tried to stop the attacker. Another victim, also a priest, remains in serious condition, while the lives of the other three wounded, a man and two women, are no longer in danger, the authorities said.
The suspected attacker, identified as a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen, was detained at the scene. Investigators said he had entered Poland from Germany overnight and was apparently heading toward a border crossing with Ukraine. It remains unclear how he ended up at the abbey or what his motive was.
The attack has triggered shock in Jaroslaw, with residents gathering outside the abbey and lighting candles for the slain priest.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the killing had caused “deep shock and outrage,” adding that “the principles and values of our community must be respected by all those residing in our country.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the perpetrator would be punished “with the full severity of Polish law.”
Opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has called for investigators to establish the circumstances of the suspect’s presence in Poland and whether he had previously come to the attention of security services.
The incident comes amid a marked deterioration in Polish attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees. A July report by the polling agency CBOS found that, for the first time since it began tracking the issue, a majority of Poles opposed accepting them, with 52% against and 42% in favor.Support had stood at 94% shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The share of Poles who believe reconciliation with Ukrainians is possible has fallen to a record low of 53%, according to CBOS data published in September, while 38% said it was impossible. The survey came amid persistent historical disputes, particularly over the WWII-era Volhynia massacres of Poles and the legacy of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
