Poland arrests Ukrainian teen “recruited by Russia” to vandalize massacre monument

Poland has arrested a 17-year-old Ukrainian believed to have carried out last week's widely condemned vandalism of a monument honoring Poles massacred by Ukrainian nationalists during World War Two, as well as other acts of sabotage.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk claims that the teenager is the latest example of a young Ukrainian or Belarusian hired to carry out such actions in Poland on behalf of Russia, with the aim of stirring social and diplomatic tensions.

Last week, a memorial to victims of the Volhynia massacres, in which around 100,000 ethnic Polish civilians were slaughted, was vandalized by someone who painted onto it the red-and-black flag of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the words “Glory to the UPA”.

The UPA was responsible for the Volhynia massacres, which targeted mainly ethnic Poles but also other minorities such as Jews . The episode is regarded in Poland as a genocide and displaying the UPA flag is seen as highly offensive.

At a press conference on Wednesday evening, Tusk announced that the Internal Security Agency (ABW) had “today arrested a young Ukrainian who is accused of acts of sabotage.”

“This is not the first time Russians have recruited Ukrainians and Belarusians to carry out such actions on Polish territory,” added the prime minister, noting that Moscow is seeking to “divide Poland and Ukraine” by “stirring up conflict and emotions.”

Subsequently, the minister in charge of the security services, Tomasz Siemoniak, confirmed that the ABW and police had conducted an operation resulting in the detention of the 17-year-old Ukrainian male.

“On the orders of foreign agencies, he carried out acts of vandalism through anti-Polish inscriptions on monuments commemorating UPA victims,” wrote Siemoniak. “These actions were intended to incite tensions between Poles and Ukrainians.”

The spokesperson for the security services, Jacek Dobrzyński, added that the suspect is believed to have “put [UPA] flags and slogans promoting Nazi ideology on buildings and monuments” in Warsaw and Wrocław as well as in the village of Domostawa, where the Volhynia monument is located.

Just a few days after the vandalism of the memorial, controversy was also aroused by the displaying of a UPA at a concert in Warsaw attended by many members of Poland's large Ukrainian and Belarusian communities.

A few days later, the man responsible, a young Ukrainian, published a video apologizing for his actions and saying that he had not meant to cause offense.

Meanwhile, Poland began deportation proceedings against 57 Ukrainians and six Belarusians for various forms of criminal activity at the concert. Tusk, however, warned that the incident should not be used to stir anti-Ukrainian sentiment and called on Poles to “avoid Russian manipulation and provocation”.

Poland has accused Russia of hiring Ukrainian and Belarusian immigrants to carry out sabotage, espionage and propaganda operations.

Earlier this year, a Ukrainian man was sentenced to prison for preparing to carry out arson attacks on behalf of Russia. In 2023, a group of 13 Ukrainians, two Belarusians and one Russian were likewise handed jail terms for operating a spy network on behalf of Russia.

And today, prosecutors announced they had indicted three Belarusians and three Poles for being part of a criminal group that carried out arson attacks on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.

Main image credit: Konrad Berkowicz/Facebook