Polish national fighting for Russia killed in combat zone, Russian authorities say
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Editor's note: The story was updated with a statement from the Polish Foreign Ministry.
Polish national Jerzy Tyc, who fought on Russia's side against Ukraine, was killed in action, regional authorities of Russia’s Kursk Oblast reported on Sept. 21.
Tyc was the head of the Kursk Association, an organization involved in restoring Soviet war memorials in Poland.
He said he had served in the Polish armed forces until 1989, leaving the military after the fall of communism. In recent years, Tyc lived in Russia.
According to Polish media outlet TVP, he often appeared in Russian media, where he criticized the Polish government.
While in Moscow, he met with Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, and was awarded a medal by former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for what Russian sources described as "restoring dozens of monuments to Soviet soldiers and military graves."
Tyc eventually joined the Russian military, where he served under the call-sign "Zygmunt."
The Polish Foreign Ministry's consular department has not been informed by Russian authorities about Tyc's death, the ministry's press service told the Kyiv Independent in a statement.
The ministry also stressed that "military service of a Polish citizen in a foreign army, without appropriate permission, is against the law."
Russian forces have frequently deployed foreign fighters against Ukraine during the aggression in Donbas in 2014 and as part of the full-scale invasion since 2022.
While some have been coerced or tricked into military service, others have reportedly come to fight for Russia for ideological reasons.
