Five suspects have been arrested in Poland in connection with the brutal beating of Ukrainian teenagers
In Poland, law enforcement officials have detained five Polish citizens aged 15 to 18 who are suspected of brutally attacking three Ukrainian teenagers in Warsaw. The incident occurred on May 7 on the Świętokrzyski Bridge over the Vistula River and sparked significant public outcry.
This was reported by Poland’s Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, on social media.
“Zero tolerance for aggression. A few days ago, three teenagers—citizens of Ukraine—were brutally beaten on the Świętokrzyski Bridge in Warsaw. In connection with the attack, police detained five individuals—Polish citizens aged 15 to 18. Further legal proceedings are underway,” he wrote.
According to Polish media reports, a group of about ten aggressive youths attacked the Ukrainians because they were speaking Ukrainian and Russian. The attackers knocked the teenagers to the ground, struck them on the head, and even attempted to throw one of the victims off the bridge into the river.
The most seriously injured was 16-year-old Artem from Zaporizhzhia, who moved to Poland with his family after the start of the full-scale war. The boy suffered a skull fracture and serious facial injuries and was hospitalized.
Police have already detained five of the most aggressive participants in the attack. Three of them are minors, while two will be held accountable as adults. It is known that all those detained previously had a history of run-ins with the law.
Law enforcement officials do not rule out further arrests, particularly of individuals who were present during the beating but did not attempt to stop it.
During the attack, the assailants shouted offensive phrases at the Ukrainians, including: “Get back to Ukraine!” At the same time, the Polish police are currently classifying the incident as hooliganism, not a crime motivated by ethnic hatred.
A representative of the Warsaw police stated that at this stage, the investigation does not have sufficient evidence to reclassify the case as a crime motivated by national hatred.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Poland also responded to the incident.
“The Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland expresses deep concern over the brutal attack on a group of Ukrainian teenagers in Warsaw on May 7, 2026, as a result of which 16-year-old Ukrainian citizen Artem suffered serious bodily injuries. We strongly condemn any manifestations of violence, xenophobia, hate speech, and aggression based on nationality or language,” the diplomats emphasized.
The embassy also called on Polish law enforcement agencies to conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation and bring all those responsible to justice.
Earlier in Poznań, police secured the forced deportation from Poland of a 36-year-old Ukrainian citizen following repeated incidents of theft in retail establishments.
In Poland, a Ukrainian man was gathering information about defense enterprises in Bydgoszcz and passing it on to Russian intelligence services. According to the investigation, he collaborated with the FSB while abroad. The Lutsk City and District Court found the man guilty of treason and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
