'A horrific crime' — Ukrainian man kills 1, injures 4 in stabbing at Polish monastery

A Ukrainian man attacked five people with a knife at the Benedictine Sisters' Abbey in Jaroslaw, Poland on Sept. 24, killing one victim and injuring four others in what President Volodymyr Zelensky called "a horrific crime."

The town of Jaroslaw in southeastern Poland lies approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attacker stabbed four men and one woman on the premises of the Benedectine Sisters' Abbey before police arrived at the scene the morning of Sept. 24, according to local officials. Three of the victims were members of the clergy. All were rushed to the hospital after the attack.

One man, a Catholic priest, died at the hospital due to the severity of his injuries. Two of the other victims are in serious condition, District Prosecutor Bozena Harasz-Woloszyn said.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk later confirmed that the assailant is a Ukrainian national and currently in police custody.

"The investigation is ongoing," Tusk wrote on X.

"The perpetrator is a Ukrainian citizen. He will be punished to the full extent of Polish law. My heart goes out to the loved ones of the victims of this brutal attack."

Authorities have not yet established a motive for the crime. The suspect, a 31-year-old Ukrainian national, is believed to have entered Poland from Germany overnight. He then drove toward the border crossing with Ukraine, but did not enter Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky also condemned the attack in a social media post on Sept. 24.

"A horrific crime at the Benedictine Sisters' Abbey in Jarosław, committed by a Ukrainian citizen. We are shaken by this evil," he wrote.

Zelensky extended condolences to the loved ones of the man who died and wished the injured a swift recovery.

"The perpetrator of this evil must bear full responsibility in accordance with the law. ... Justice must be done," he said.

The deadly knife attack comes during a period of strained Polish-Ukrainian relations, inflamed by high-profile diplomatic spats and the politics of historic grievance. A majority of Poles report more negative attitudes toward Ukraine and Ukrainians, and incidents of interpersonal violence are on the rise.  

The Kremlin has seized on the dispute to amplify disinformation narratives, aiming to drive a greater wedge between the two nations, which remain staunchly allied in their stance against Russian aggression.