Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar believes that the attack by a Ukrainian on people in a monastery in Poland on September 24 had no national basis.
He said this in a comment to the Slawa media outlet.
The Ukrainian suspect was identified as 31-year-old Ihor M. According to the ambassador, he may have had mental disorders and is currently in a psychiatric hospital.
"I wouldnʼt look for any extraordinary reasons right now, because loud headlines can always provoke further escalation. In addition, Iʼm waiting for an official report from the police, which will tell you exactly about his mental state," Bodnar said.
At the same time, the diplomat added that the man "must comply with all legislative norms" of the EU and Poland.
It is known that the suspect lives in Germany, and yesterday he tried to cross the Polish-Ukrainian border, but was refused due to the lack of an insurance policy.
Citing sources, the Wirtualna Polska newspaper writes that the motive for the attack could have been revenge against local priests. According to the media, before the attack, in the morning, a man knocked on the abbey gate and asked for financial assistance, but was refused.
Eyewitnesses said he was drunk or under the influence of drugs, spoke incoherently and was dressed very lightly, even though it was cold outside.
One of the interviewees of Wirtualna Polska said that the Ukrainian “went crazy” when he did not receive help. At first, he allegedly threatened the priests with words, and then returned from somewhere with a machete, with which he attacked the visitors and the priest. Polish law enforcement officers have not yet announced an official motive for the crime.
- The attack killed a priest and injured four others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the incident a “horrible crime”. He expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said that those responsible for the crime must be punished according to the law.
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