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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sends condolences to the family of the priest who lost his life to a rare stabbing incident in Poland perpetrated by a Ukrainian nationa Screenshot from Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s X Account

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sent his condolences to the family of the priest who was killed in Jarosław, Poland. He also wished the injured people a swift recovery. Polish authorities confirmed the suspect is a Ukrainian national.

'In the Convent of the Benedictine Sisters in Jarosław, a citizen of Ukraine committed a horrific crime. We are shocked by this evil... We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We wish a swift recovery to health to all those affected,' Zelenskyy said on social media.

What Happened at the Abbey?

'The perpetrator of this evil must bear full responsibility in accordance with the applicable law. We trust in a swift and thorough clarification of all circumstances,' the President also said. 'It is painful that people are capable of such cruel crimes. We believe that justice will be served.'

Authorities said the 31-year-old Ukrainian man went on a stabbing spree on Thursday morning, 24 September 2026, at the 17th-century Benedictine abbey, which is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

The suspect was believed to have entered Poland from Germany that same day. He reportedly grabbed a knife from the abbey's kitchen and started attacking four men and a woman.

'Three of the victims are clergy members and two are lay people; one person has died,' said prosecutor Bożena Harasz-Wołoszyn. Two others are in 'critical, life-threatening condition.' The fatality was identified in Polish media as a priest.

According to Catholic Arena, Fr. Stanisław was killed while hearing confessions. Quoting a source, the account said on X: 'The man who barged in with a knife simply started killing. It was a random man. We don't know him. He looked like a madman—in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt—even though it was a cold day.

Poland Abbey Stabbing Kills Priest, Wounds Four
A priest has died and four people have been wounded at an abbey in Jarosław, where police detained a Ukrainian suspect and investigators are seeking a motive By Sean Ronquillo, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikipedia Commons
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Suspect's Motive Unclear

The motive is still unclear and Harasz-Wołoszyn said doctors will check whether he was under the influence of alcohol or another substance. Jarosław Mayor Marcin Nazarewicz declared a period of mourning until the end of the week.

'The murderer from Jarosław is in the hands of the Polish Police,' said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. 'Procedures are ongoing. The perpetrator is a Ukrainian citizen. He will be punished with the full severity of Polish law.'

President Karol Nawrocki called for a swift and relentless enforcement of the law, citing the state's responsibility in ensuring the safety of the citizens. 'Today's attack has shaken us all and demands a firm response from the state. I expect the relevant services to quickly and thoroughly clarify all the circumstances of this tragedy,' he said.

Rare Knife Incident in Poland

The incident has shocked Poland because attacks of this kind are uncommon in the country. Killings in religious sites are extremely rare in one of Europe's most Catholic countries—87% of Polish adults identified as Catholic in a Pew Research Center report published in 2018.

Knife crime, in general, is rare in Poland. The country ranks so low that it is excluded from the primary regional focus tables in the World Population Review Stabbing Deaths by Country Report, which tracks global datasets up to 2023. It measures stabbing deaths per 100,000 people. Among the lowest-indexed in the report was Fiji, which recorded a nominal rate of just 0.11 stabbing deaths per 100,000 population.

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