Following the scandal, Polish activists raised funds to send buses to Vinnytsia
The Polish volunteer organization "Sikorki na Ukrainie" has successfully completed a fundraising campaign to purchase passenger vehicles for Vinnytsia.
Activists initiated this project after the official delivery of humanitarian aid from the Polish city of Kielce fell through due to political disputes.
The charity campaign resonated strongly with the Polish public, allowing the campaign to exceed its initial fundraising goal of 500,000 zlotys.
As of June 15, the total amount of donations reached a notable 518,210 zlotys, which is equivalent to approximately 6.3 million hryvnias.
With the funds raised, volunteers plan to purchase 15 used buses from the municipality of Kielce, which were previously intended for free transfer.
The organizers assured that if the Polish side refuses to sell the vehicles, similar transport will be purchased directly in Ukraine, and any surplus funds will be directed toward additional vehicles.
An international scandal erupted after the mayor of Kielce publicly announced that Vinnytsia had officially withdrawn its request for municipal vehicles.
This move by the Ukrainian side was a response to heated debates within Polish political circles regarding complex historical issues between the two countries.
In particular, representatives of the Polish conservative party “Law and Justice” attempted to block the aid and demanded that Vinnytsia authorities reverse the renaming of a street in honor of Stepan Bandera.
Although the controversial resolution failed to secure a majority vote in the Kielce City Council, the incident completely blocked inter-municipal cooperation.
This is evidenced by official data from the European crowdfunding platform “Zrzutka,” which tracked financial contributions from citizens.
Vinnytsia withdrew its request for buses from Kielce amid the historical scandal
Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced private consultations with Ukraine regarding the possible naming of one of the Special Operations Forces units “Heroes of the UPA.” According to him, this issue is being discussed in a diplomatic format.
Warsaw has reacted to the decision to rename the Ukrainian military unit. This concerns an elite unit of the Special Operations Forces, which, according to reports, was named in honor of the Heroes of the UPA. This has sparked a critical reaction in Polish society and political circles.
