Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has condemned an assault on two Ukrainian citizens in the Polish city of Poznań, calling the incident "outrageous" and directing consular officials to protect the victims' rights.
"Verbal and physical threats based on national intolerance are absolutely unacceptable and require a harsh response," Sybiha wrote on Facebook.
The minister instructed Ukrainian consuls from Wrocław to respond promptly, investigate all circumstances of the incident, and defend the rights of those affected. According to Sybiha, Ukraine's consulate general in Wrocław maintains constant contact with local authorities and monitors the situation.
"We thank Polish law enforcement for their immediate response and expect those responsible to be held accountable and the rights of Ukrainian citizens to be properly protected," the foreign minister added.
The incident occurred recently in Poznań when a Ukrainian citizen and his companion were attacked on a tram. What began with verbal abuse escalated to physical violence.
On 14 December, police announced the arrest of suspects — two 27-year-old Polish men, one a Poznań resident and the other from the suburbs.
This attack follows a pattern of similar incidents. On 5 September, a group of men in Poland verbally abused and then assaulted three Ukrainians. Police reported that the perpetrators face charges of assault and ethnic hatred.
On 24 September, a man in Poland punched a woman in the nose after she defended an elderly Ukrainian woman he had been insulting for speaking Ukrainian. Polish law enforcement detained the attacker.
