Stabbing at Polish Monastery by Ukrainian National Leaves 1 Dead, 4 Injured

A Ukrainian national went on a stabbing rampage at a monastery in Poland, leaving one priest dead and four others, including churchgoers, injured.

According to local media such as TVP, at around 9:30 a.m. local time on the 24th, a 31-year-old Ukrainian man was arrested after brandishing a weapon at a Benedictine monastery in Jaroslaw, southeastern Poland.

Among the five victims stabbed, three—including the deceased priest—were clergy members, and two were laypeople, according to reports.

Bozena Harasimowicz, spokesperson for the Przemysl Prosecutor's Office, stated that two of the injured are in critical condition.

Witnesses reported that the deceased priest was stabbed while inside the confessional.

Prosecutors stated that the suspect entered Poland from Germany earlier that morning and committed the crime while heading toward the Ukrainian border checkpoint.

Jaroslaw is located about 30 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X, "A Ukrainian citizen has committed a terrible crime. We are deeply shocked by this wickedness."

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, "He will face the harshest punishment allowed by Polish law."

About 1.7 million Ukrainians live in Poland, of whom about 1 million are refugees who relocated following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Recently, violent crimes have broken out successively between citizens of the two countries.

On August 1, an 18-year-old Ukrainian stabbed a 30-year-old Polish woman in southwestern Wroclaw, leaving her in critical condition, and on August 22, a 47-year-old Pole stabbed and killed a 52-year-old Ukrainian national on a street in southern Chorzow.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.