A brutal knife attack at a Catholic abbey in the southeastern Polish town of Jarosław has left one priest dead and four other people wounded, according to Polish law enforcement and government officials. A 31-year-old Ukrainian national has been taken into police custody following Thursday morning’s stabbing incident on the abbey grounds, authorities confirmed.
Local law enforcement agencies have sealed off the perimeter of the abbey to preserve evidence for the ongoing investigation. Initial reports from Polish media outline that the attacker first stabbed a priest at a nearby cafe before moving into the abbey compound and attacking four additional people. Police have confirmed that the victims of the attack include four men and one woman, though the name of the deceased priest has not been made public to protect the privacy of his family.
The attack has drawn swift condemnation and response from senior officials on both sides of the Poland-Ukraine border. Polish President Karol Nawrocki released a statement Thursday noting that the violence “has shaken us all and demands a firm response from the state.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk added that the perpetrator “will be punished with the full severity of Polish law,” while Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński announced that psychological support services have been activated for all people impacted by the traumatic incident.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also released a statement expressing his country’s shock at the violence, saying “we are shocked by this evil.” He echoed Polish officials in calling for full legal accountability, adding that “the perpetrator of this evil must bear full responsibility according to the law” and that Ukraine is anticipating “a quick and thorough investigation of all circumstances.” The Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw also issued a formal condemnation of the attack, noting in a statement: “In such difficult moments, it is especially important to support each other, remain steadfast in respect for human life, and not allow pain to escalate into hatred or new violence. Responsibility for a crime must be based solely on the law.”
At present, Polish law enforcement is still working to establish a clear motive for the attack. The incident comes amid a period of increased tension between Polish citizens and the more than one million Ukrainian refugees who have settled in Poland following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Over recent months, Poland has recorded multiple violent incidents involving locals and Ukrainian refugees, prompting officials on both sides to call for calm and due process in the wake of this latest attack.