A tragic attack in Jarosław in the Podkarpacie region. A 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen attacked five people with a knife on the premises of the local abbey. Among the victims were three priests and two laypeople. One of the clergymen died. The man was detained by the police, and investigators are determining the motive and the exact circumstances of the incident.
The attack took place on Thursday, 24 September 2026, on the grounds of the Jarosław Abbey on Benedyktyńska Street in Jarosław. At around 9:30 a.m., the police received a report about a man who attacked one of the people with a knife.
Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene. Police detained a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen. According to preliminary findings, several minutes earlier the man was to have attacked four men and a woman. All of the injured were taken to hospital.
Among those attacked were three priests
As reported by Senior Sgt. Anna Długosz of the Jarosław District Police Headquarters, initially the condition of three injured men was described as serious. Later it was confirmed that one of the injured priests could not be saved.
In total, five people were attacked. According to information provided by the media, they included three clergymen and two laypeople.
Attack on the abbey premises
More details were provided by the superior of the Benedictine nuns in Jarosław, Sister Barbara Dendor. In an interview with Wirtualna Polska, she reported that the attacker appeared with a knife on the premises of the center operating at the abbey. According to her account, the first incident occurred in the café, and later the attack moved toward the church.
The nun also said that the attacker was not someone known to the local community. There is also a preschool on the abbey grounds. According to her account, none of the children were harmed.
The attacker was detained
The 31-year-old was detained at the scene by police officers. The abbey grounds were secured, and officers are conducting inspections and questioning witnesses. The prosecutor’s office is also handling the case.
Małgorzata Taciuch-Kurasiewicz, spokeswoman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl, said that activities at the scene may take many hours.
So far, the motive for the attack has not been officially given. Among other things, the services are determining the exact course of events and the circumstances under which the 31-year-old found himself on the abbey grounds.
After the incident, the city crisis management team passed information to schools, offices, and parishes in Jarosław. Local institutions were advised to pay closer attention to people entering buildings.
The case is developing. Information about the condition of the injured and the circumstances of the attack may be updated with further statements from the police and the prosecutor’s office.
