One person was killed and four others were injured in a knife attack at a Benedictine abbey in Jarosław, southeastern Poland, on Thursday morning.
Police said a 31-year-old Ukrainian national was detained at the scene. The attack took place at the 17th-century abbey complex, about 30 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Prosecutors said the suspect had entered Poland from Germany earlier that day and had been travelling towards a crossing into Ukraine.
Five people were attacked
The victims were four men and one woman. Three were members of the clergy and two were laypeople. One person later died; Polish media identified the victim as a priest, though police had not immediately confirmed the person’s identity. Two of the injured were reported to be in critical, life-threatening condition.
Investigators said the suspect allegedly took a knife from the abbey’s kitchen. Authorities had not established a motive, and prosecutors said doctors would assess whether alcohol may have been a factor.
Leaders condemn the attack
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the suspect would face the full force of the law. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the violence and called for legal accountability. Jarosław’s mayor declared a period of mourning through the end of the week.
The investigation was ongoing, with authorities working to establish the circumstances and sequence of events.
