The Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained a 17-year-old Ukrainian suspected of painting Bandera symbols on buildings in Warsaw and Wrocław and vandalising the Volhynia massacre monument. What happened?
Scandal over Bandera symbols – what happened?
In recent days, officers of the Internal Security Agency (ABW), working with Lower Silesian police and the cybercrime unit, detained a young Ukrainian citizen. According to the spokesperson for the minister coordinating special services, the detainee allegedly displayed Bandera flags and inscriptions referring to Nazi ideology on both monuments and public buildings. Acts of vandalism took place, among other places, in Warsaw, Wrocław and the village of Domostaw.
Vandalism of the Volhynia Massacre Monument
Where and how did the vandalism happen?
The incident took place at a newly unveiled monument in Domostaw (Subcarpathia), as well as in Warsaw.Bandera flags and the inscriptions „Chwała UPA” (“Glory to UPA”) in Ukrainian appeared on the monuments. This is a direct reference to an ideology that in Poland is regarded as a symbol of the Volhynia crimes.The incident has outraged Polish and Ukrainian circles. Authorities and social organisations stress that it is a cynical provocation that strikes at delicate Polish-Ukrainian relations and at the memory of the victims of the tragic events of 1943–1945.
Worth knowing:
The vandalism itself, together with the placement of controversial symbols, was met with a swift response from law enforcement. The 17-year-old is currently in custody, and the investigation is supervised by the National Prosecutor’s Office (Prokuratura Krajowa).
Social and political reactions
- The Minister of Internal Affairs announced consequences not only for the direct perpetrator, but also for everyone involved in similar acts of desecrating memorial sites.
- The police stress there is no tolerance for glorification of totalitarian symbols, and any such action is subject to strict legal assessment.
The voice of the Ukrainian community
Organisations such as Euromaidan Warszawa have officially distanced themselves from the act of vandalism, condemning the use of UPA symbols for deliberate provocation. They point out that such an act undermines many years of work towards reconciliation and cooperation between nations.
In Poland, OUN-UPA symbols are seen as directly linked to the massacre of the Polish population in Volhynia. Although some Ukrainians regard these signs as part of national identity, their use in the Polish public space arouses intense emotions and is often treated as an insult to national memory.
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