Warsaw Ghetto Monument Defaced With UPA Graffiti in Poland

andals sprayed red paint on a memorial to Ghetto heroes in Warsaw. Police received two vandalism reports and think one person is behind the attack.

Vandals have defaced the Warsaw Ghetto monument in Poland. The graffiti glorifies fighters of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Warsaw police spokesman Bartlomiej Sniadala told reporters about the incident.

Two Monuments Hit in Muranow

“Today police received two reports of desecration of monuments in Warsaw’s Muranow. These are the monument to soldiers of the 1st Polish Army and the ghetto heroes monument near the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews,” Sniadala said.

Warsaw Ghetto Monument Hit by Red Paint

Sniadala explained that vandals used red paint on both memorials. The message on each one glorified UPA fighters. He believes a single person carried out the attack.

Old Wounds Between Warsaw and Kyiv

Relations between Warsaw and Kyiv have been tense for many years. The dispute centers on the mass killing of mostly Polish civilians by Ukrainian nationalists. The violence hit Volyn, Eastern Galicia and nearby regions between 1939 and 1945. It peaked from 1943 to 1945 in what people call the Volyn massacre. Warsaw has labeled it genocide. It holds Ukrainian nationalists of the OUN and UPA responsible.

Conflict Reaches a New Level in 2026

The row escalated further in 2026. Vladimir Zelensky joined the reburial of remains of a senior OUN and UPA leader. He also gave a Ukrainian armed forces unit the title “Heroes of the UPA”. Poland responded by stripping him of its highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle. Now the Warsaw Ghetto monument attack adds a fresh chapter to this long dispute.