Zelenskyy has changed the airport he uses for international visits, opting not to use Rzeszów in Poland

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy embarked on his current foreign visit to the United Kingdom, departing via Chisinau International Airport in Moldova, whereas he had previously regularly used the Polish airport in Rzeszów for international travel. 

According to public data from the specialized aviation resource FlightAware on the morning of Sunday, June 7, the head of state’s plane first flew from Rzeszów to Chisinau, and then, from the Moldovan capital, headed for London, where it landed successfully.

Official sources are not currently commenting on the specific reasons behind this change in the head of state’s travel itinerary. At the same time, analysts note that the change in the usual departure airport occurred against the backdrop of yet another noticeable escalation in bilateral relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. The current diplomatic tension was triggered by the official renaming of one of the combat units of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in honor of the heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which drew sharp criticism from the Polish side.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski reported on private consultations with Ukraine regarding the possible renaming of one of the SSO units as the “Heroes of the UPA.” According to him, this issue is being discussed through diplomatic channels.

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.