---
title: "Knife attack at Polish monastery: Ukrainian kills priest, Zelensky demands thorough investigation"
description: "In Jarosław, Poland, a Ukrainian citizen attacked the Benedictine nuns' monastery with a knife, killing a priest and wounding four others. President Zelensky condemned the crime and demanded a thorough investigation."
date: 2026-09-24T16:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-kills-priest-at-polish-monastery-zelensky-condemns
tags: [ukraine, poland, monastery-attack, zelensky, jaroslaw, knife-attack, benedictines]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Knife attack at Polish monastery: Ukrainian kills priest, Zelensky demands thorough investigation

![Volodymyr Zelensky in profile, commenting on the knife attack at a Polish monastery and demanding an investigation into the priest's murder](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/24/ukrainec-ubil-svyashchennika-v-monastyre-v-polshe-zielenskiy-osudil/ukrainec-ubil-svyashchennika-v-monastyre-v-polshe-zielenskiy-osudil-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- On the morning of September 24, 2026, a Ukrainian citizen attacked the Benedictine nuns' abbey in Jarosław (Poland) with a knife, killing a priest and wounding four others.
- Polish police confirmed stab wounds to five victims (four men and one woman); two are in critical condition.
- President Zelensky called the incident a "horrific crime," expressed condolences, and demanded a full investigation by the Polish authorities.

On the morning of September 24, 2026, an armed attack using a bladed weapon took place on the grounds of the Benedictine nuns' abbey in the city of Jarosław (Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland). According to preliminary data, a Ukrainian citizen stabbed five people — four men and one woman. One of the victims, a clergyman, died. Two others are in critical condition. The incident has sparked widespread resonance both in Poland and in Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly condemned the crime and called for a full disclosure of all the circumstances of the case.

### Circumstances of the attack

According to information provided by the Polish police, the attack broke out in the early morning hours directly on the grounds of the monastic complex in Jarosław, located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship in southeastern Poland. Preliminary data indicate that the perpetrator — a male Ukrainian citizen — stabbed four men and one woman. One of the male victims, as clarified by law enforcement officials, was a priest serving at the abbey. He died from his injuries. Two other wounded are in critical condition in medical facilities. As of the time of writing, no official clarification had been received regarding the condition of the fifth victim — a woman. The police are carrying out operational measures; the identity and motives of the attacker were not disclosed at the time of publication.

### Reaction of the President of Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky issued a statement in his Telegram channel, in which he described the incident as a "horrific crime committed by a Ukrainian citizen at the Benedictine nuns' abbey in Jarosław." The head of state emphasized that Ukraine is "shocked by this evil" and expressed "deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased," wishing a speedy recovery to all the wounded. Zelensky stated that the perpetrator "must bear full responsibility before the law" and expressed his expectation of a "swift and thorough investigation of all the circumstances" by Polish law enforcement authorities. "It is painful that people are capable of such horrific crimes. Justice must prevail," the president concluded.

### Contradictory data

At the time of publication, information on the number and nature of the injuries remains preliminary. The basic reports of several Ukrainian media outlets use the phrasing "killed a priest and wounded four others," whereas the Polish police in their official statement refer to stab wounds to "four men and one woman" — a total of five victims. The discrepancy is explained by the fact that in the first phrasing the deceased priest is set aside as the "killed" one, while in the second he is counted among the "four men" who received stab wounds (one of whom subsequently died). Thus, both versions converge on the total figure: five people were stabbed, one of whom died. Nevertheless, final data on the condition of the wounded and the exact circumstances of the attack will be presented upon completion of the operational investigation.

### Context and significance of the incident

The abbey in Jarosław is an active Catholic monastery of the Order of Benedictine nuns, located in the historic center of one of the oldest cities in Poland. An attack on a religious institution in peacetime, carried out with a bladed weapon, represents a rare and extremely serious incident for the region. Since the attacker is a Ukrainian citizen, the event has acquired interstate resonance: President Zelensky's statement, in which he publicly distanced himself from the criminal's actions and demanded a fair trial, is aimed at emphasizing that the act of one individual does not reflect the position of the state. Polish authorities, for their part, are conducting a standard criminal investigation on the facts of intentional murder and attempted murder.

### What is known so far

As of the evening of September 24, 2026, the Polish police are continuing their work at the scene of the incident. Officially confirmed: the death of one clergyman, stab wounds to four other people (three men and one woman), of whom two are in critical condition. The attacker, according to available data, has been detained. Identification, establishment of motives, and formulation of the final charge are at the investigation stage. The Ukrainian side, according to the president's statement, is awaiting a full and transparent investigation from the Polish authorities. Official Kyiv and Warsaw are expected to coordinate their actions at the diplomatic level in connection with the incident.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["Shocked by this evil": Zelensky reacts to Ukrainian's attack at monastery in Poland](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/shokovani-tsim-zlom-zelenskiy-vidreaguvav-1790268153.html) - Первичный источник: цитата заявления Зеленского в Telegram, данные полиции о пяти раненых, гибели священника, двух в критическом состоянии. Подкарпатское воеводство, Ярославо, утро 24.09.2026.
- [Zelensky condemns brutal attack by Ukrainian on monastery in Poland](https://ua.news/ru/world/zelenskii-zasudiv-zhorstokii-napad-ukrayintsia-na-monastir-u-polshchi) - Подтверждает факт нападения, реакцию Зеленского, квалификацию как «жестокое нападение». Сведения согласуются с RBC-Ukraine.
- [Shocked by this evil: Zelensky reacts to Ukrainian's attack at monastery in Poland](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/svit/20260924-shokovani-tsym-zlom-zelenskyj-vidreaguvav-na-napad-ukrayintsya-v-monastyri-v-polshhi/) - Повторяет ключевые факты: убийство священника, ранение четырёх человек, заявление Зеленского. Даты и детали совпадают.
- [Zelensky reacts to massacre carried out by Ukrainian in Poland](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4914659-zelenskyi-otreahyroval-na-ustroennuui-ukrayntsem-reznui-v-polshe) - Подтверждает инцидент и реакцию президента. Использует формулировку «резня», что согласуется с тяжестью последствий (один погибший, двое в критическом состоянии).

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What happened at the monastery in Jarosław?
**A:** On the morning of September 24, 2026, a Ukrainian citizen attacked the grounds of the Benedictine nuns' abbey in Jarosław (Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland) with a knife. One priest died, and four other people (three men and one woman) were stabbed, two of them in critical condition.

### Q: How did the President of Ukraine react?
**A:** Volodymyr Zelensky, in a Telegram statement, called the incident a "horrific crime," expressed condolences to the family of the deceased, wished recovery to the wounded, and demanded a thorough and swift investigation by the Polish authorities, as well as full legal responsibility for the perpetrator.

### Q: Who is the attacker and what is his status?
**A:** According to available data, the attacker is a male Ukrainian citizen. At the time of publication, his identity, motives, and exact legal status (detained / arrested) were not officially disclosed; the Polish police are carrying out operational measures.

### Q: Is the information final?
**A:** No. All data on the number and nature of the injuries at the time of publication are preliminary and based on the first reports from the Polish police. The final results of the investigation will be published later.