The number of hate crimes against Ukrainians is rising in Poland. In the first half of 2026, the police received 180 reports, which is 30% more than in the same period last year. These involve beatings, threats, insults, and other forms of aggression. This is reported by Radio Liberty.
Attacks on Ukrainians are recorded in various cities in Poland
In July, high-profile incidents occurred in Bielsko-Biała, Legnica, Poznań, Płock, and Zgierz. Ukrainians were insulted because of their language and origin, beaten in public places, and in one case, an unknown person fired twice from an air gun at a Ukrainian woman's apartment window.
In Płock, a man on a bus demanded that two Ukrainian teenagers speak Polish and leave the country. According to the mother of one of them, Natalia Melnyk, the passenger hit both children, after which they were thrown off the bus. The police confiscated the camera recordings, and the case was passed to the prosecutor's office.
«I wanted this to encourage someone not to be afraid to speak up. So that everyone could see that the police respond. And that the attackers would be afraid, not hit and not touch the children», — said Natalia.
In Zgierz, a Ukrainian woman, Tetiana, reported two shots fired at the window of her rented apartment. She suspects the shooter might be a neighbor who previously made anti-Ukrainian statements. The police confirmed the use of pneumatic weapons and initiated an investigation.
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The number of reports from Ukrainians in Poland could reach a record high
In 2024, Ukrainians submitted 267 reports of hate crimes in Poland; in 2025, there were 275 such reports. In the first six months of 2026, the police registered 180 reports already, which is 30% more in yearly terms and nearly 35% more than in the same period of 2024.
If this trend continues, the annual figure may become the highest in recent years. At the same time, the statistics cover not only physical attacks but also threats, verbal insults, and other actions motivated by national hatred.
The Ukrainian embassy is addressing the Polish law enforcement regarding high-profile cases. Poland's Minister of the Interior, Marcin Kerwiński, stated that inciting hatred based on national or ethnic grounds is unacceptable, and the police must respond both in public spaces and online.
As of mid-April 2026, nearly 987,000 Ukrainians were using temporary protection in Poland. About another million citizens of Ukraine were in the country as labor migrants.
As a reminder, Poland intends to impose 30-year sentences for military violations.