---
title: "Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland: Claims of Danger to Ukrainians Are Exaggerated, but Attacks Have Increased"
description: "Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bondar, stated that narratives about the danger to Ukrainians are exaggerated, while acknowledging a 30% rise in attacks over three years. In the first half of 2026, 10,800 offenses were recorded, amounting to 0.54% of the two-million-strong community."
date: 2026-09-25T06:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraines-ambassador-to-poland-danger-to-ukrainians-exaggerated
tags: [ukraine, poland, diplomacy, ukrainian-community, vasyl-bondar, migration, security]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland: Claims of Danger to Ukrainians Are Exaggerated, but Attacks Have Increased

![Ukrainian woman with a suitcase and backpack in front of a train at a railway station, symbol of Ukrainian displacement in Poland](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/25/posol-ukrainy-v-polshe-opasnost-dlya-ukraincev-preuvelichena/posol-ukrainy-v-polshe-opasnost-dlya-ukraincev-preuvelichena-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, Bondar, stated that most Ukrainians do not encounter physical aggression, and that the anxiety is driven by media pressure
- In the first half of 2026, 10,800 offenses involving Ukrainian citizens were recorded in Poland (0.54% of ~2 million)
- Over three years, the number of attacks on Ukrainians in Poland rose by 30%; 180 cases of aggression were recorded in six months
- The legal classification of similar acts differs between Ukraine and Poland: what is administrative in Ukraine may be criminal in Poland
- The number of Ukrainians under temporary protection in Poland decreased by approximately 40,000 over six months

In an interview with RBC-Ukraine published on September 25, 2026, Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bondar, stated that public narratives about the danger of Ukrainian citizens staying on Polish territory are substantially exaggerated. According to him, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians he personally interacts with do not encounter any manifestations of physical aggression. "For the most part, it is about anxiety caused by media reports, psychological pressure that also makes some citizens afraid to speak Ukrainian in public places," the diplomat emphasized. He added that Ukrainian, and sometimes Russian, is still frequently heard on the streets of Warsaw and other Polish cities, and that there are currently no systemic grounds for a mass departure from the country.

### Crime Statistics and Legal Differences

Bondar cited specific figures: in the first half of 2026, 10,800 offenses involving Ukrainian citizens were recorded in Poland. Given the total number of Ukrainian residents of around two million, this rate amounts to about 0.54%, or roughly five cases per thousand people — a value the ambassador characterizes as being "within the margin of statistical error." At the same time, he drew attention to a fundamental difference in the legal classification of similar acts in the two countries: in Ukraine, driving a vehicle while intoxicated or possessing a small amount of narcotics without intent to sell are administrative offenses, whereas in Poland the same acts carry criminal liability. "Raw figures without an analysis of the nature of the offenses do not provide grounds for direct comparison," the diplomat noted, adding that some political forces attempt to use this statistics without explaining its actual content.

### Contradictory Data

In the same interview, Bondar acknowledged that over three years the number of attacks on Ukrainians in Poland has risen by 30%. The publication "Korrespondent," in an article dated September 25, 2026, recorded 180 cases of aggression against Ukrainians in the first half of the year. Thus, an obvious tension arises between two of the ambassador's theses: on the one hand, he claims that the anxiety is "exaggerated" and that most citizens do not personally encounter violence; on the other, he notes a quantitative increase in incidents by a third over three years. The source korrespondent.net interprets these data as confirmation of a deteriorating situation, whereas Bondar himself regards the 180 cases as a statistically insignificant figure against the backdrop of a two-million-strong community. The misreading stems from the fact that the ambassador operates with the total number of offenses (10,800), including everyday and administrative episodes, while the media narrative focuses on the narrow category of physical attacks specifically.

### Call to Observe Norms and Responsibility for Behavior

The diplomat emphasized that no sense of discomfort can serve as a justification for insults, discrimination, or physical aggression against Ukrainian citizens, and it would be wrong to shift responsibility for individual crimes onto the entire Polish society. As an example of solidarity, he cited the "Warmth from Poland to Kyiv" campaign held last winter. At the same time, Bondar addressed Ukrainian citizens themselves: "From the first days of my stay in Poland as ambassador, I have repeatedly appealed to our citizens — both to those who live here and to those who pass through Polish territory: observe the norms and rules, as well as the traditions of the host country. The behavior of each of us affects the attitude toward the entire Ukrainian community." He also suggested that part of the negative reaction from local residents may be linked to the fact that visitors from the regions, finding themselves in the capital, hear a language that is not their own on the streets, which "may evoke various emotions that can also turn into aggressive behavior."

### Dynamics of the Number of Ukrainians Under Temporary Protection

Separately, in the context of the interview, it is mentioned that the number of Ukrainians under temporary protection in Poland has decreased by approximately 40,000 over the past six months. The ambassador clarified that this does not necessarily mean a mass departure from the country: some citizens may change their status, obtain a residence permit, or simply fail to renew their registration. Nevertheless, the trend toward a shrinking formally registered contingent against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine remains a subject of close attention by both Polish and Ukrainian authorities.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ambassador explained whether Poland can be considered a dangerous country for Ukrainians](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/posol-rozpoviv-chi-mozhna-vvazhati-polshchu-1790317820.html) - Основной источник: полное интервью Василия Бондаря. Все цитаты, цифры (10 800 правонарушений, 0,54%, 30% рост, 40 тыс. сокращение) взяты из данного материала.
- [Ukraine's ambassador named Russia the only enemy of Poland](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2026/09/25/29390581.shtml) - Смежный материал того же дня (25.09.2026) с заявлениями Бондаря. Не использован напрямую в тексте, но подтверждает активность посла в медиа-поле и общий контекст.
- [Aggression against Ukrainians in Poland is growing: 180 cases in six months](https://korrespondent.net/world/4914769-ahressyia-protyv-ukrayntsev-v-polshe-rastet-180-sluchaev-za-polhoda) - Подтверждает цифру 180 случаев агрессии за первое полугодие 2026, согласуется с тезисом посла о росте нападений на 30% за три года. Использован в блоке «Противоречивые данные».

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many offenses involving Ukrainians were recorded in Poland in the first half of 2026?
**A:** According to Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bondar, 10,800 offenses involving Ukrainian citizens were recorded in the first half of 2026. This amounts to about 0.54% of the two-million-strong Ukrainian community in the country.

### Q: Has the number of attacks on Ukrainians in Poland increased?
**A:** Yes, Ambassador Bondar acknowledged that over three years the number of attacks on Ukrainians in Poland has risen by 30%. The publication "Korrespondent" recorded 180 cases of aggression in the first half of 2026. At the same time, the ambassador himself believes that in absolute terms this does not indicate a systemic threat to the entire community.

### Q: Why does the ambassador consider the claims about danger to be exaggerated?
**A:** Bondar explains that most Ukrainians he personally interacts with do not encounter physical aggression. The anxiety, he says, is shaped primarily by media reports and psychological pressure, rather than by real experience of violence. He also points out that the 10,800 offenses include everyday and administrative episodes, which are classified more strictly under Polish law than under Ukrainian law.

### Q: Has the number of Ukrainians in Poland decreased?
**A:** The number of Ukrainians under temporary protection in Poland has decreased by approximately 40,000 over the past six months. The ambassador clarified that this does not necessarily mean departure: some citizens may change their legal status or fail to renew their registration.