“Ukraine didn’t exist and won’t exist,” “I’m for Russia,” “you are the children of murderers” – these words, according to the account of a 21-year-old Ukrainian woman and the recording she shared, were allegedly spoken in one of the eateries in the center of Częstochowa. The man (Rafał) was said to have been harassing the woman for an extended time, returning to her table and continuing verbal attacks despite requests to leave her alone. Ultimately, the police were called to the scene.
The incident occurred on Sunday, August 23 at around 9:00 p.m. According to the website miejska.pl part of the incident was recorded on a phone by the 21-year-old Ukrainian citizen, and the course of events was also reportedly captured by the venue’s CCTV.
The police confirmed the intervention and the acceptance of a report. The proceedings are at an early stage, and officers are establishing the man’s identity and the exact course of the incident.
The full recording with commentary by the Nowiny Wschodnie portal is here
He was said to have been harassing customers. Later he turned his attention to the Ukrainian woman
According to the woman’s account, the man introducing himself as Rafał initially tried to strike up conversations with other customers. He allegedly sat down with two men and loudly presented his political views, touching among other things on the topic of Ukraine and Russia.
At one point, the 21-year-old asked him:
“And do they pay you for that?”
According to her account, she heard:
“Go wash up.”
However, the situation was not supposed to end there. The man was said to have come up to her table and for the next few minutes continued the conversation despite the woman’s requests to leave her alone. Other people present in the venue were also said to have intervened.
“You don’t exist here. You are the children of murderers”
At one point, the conversation turned into a series of remarks about Ukraine and Ukrainians.
In the recording, the man says, among other things:
“Ukraine never existed and never will. There is Russia.”
In another statement he claims:
“You don’t exist here. You are the children of murderers.”
He was also said to declare his support for Russia and to argue that in the future Ukraine would be divided among neighboring countries.
Particularly telling were the words about his own daughter. According to the Ukrainian woman’s account, the man was said to have said that he has a daughter of a similar age and warns her:
“I always tell her: watch out for Ukrainians.”
According to witnesses, the man smelled of alcohol. He himself was said to claim that he is 52 years old.
“Most people in Częstochowa are pro-Russia”
The man also tried to convince the Ukrainian woman that his views were supposed to be common among the city’s residents.
“Most people here in Częstochowa are pro-Russia” – he was said to state.
However, available public opinion polls contradict this picture. As the miejska.pl portal indicates, according to a CBOS survey from 2026, 74% of surveyed Poles declared dislike toward Russians, and sympathy – 7%.
The recording ended, but the row was said to continue
According to the 21-year-old, the fragment recorded on the phone does not show the most aggressive part of the entire incident.
The woman claims that about two minutes after she stopped recording, the man approached her table again. He was then said to use profanity and tell her to go back to Ukraine.
A Polish woman came to the 21-year-old’s defense. According to the Ukrainian woman’s account, she too was supposed to become the target of a verbal attack.
Ultimately, the situation led to the police being called.
Police secure CCTV footage
The Częstochowa City Police Headquarters confirmed that officers intervened at the premises.
Sub-Inspector Barbara Poznańska told the miejska.pl portal that, according to the findings so far, a misunderstanding and verbal altercation occurred between the 21-year-old Ukrainian citizen and a man whose identity has not yet been established.
The day after the incident, the police accepted a formal report.
Now officers are to identify witnesses and secure CCTV recordings in order to reconstruct the entire course of events and assess the conduct of the participants.
At this stage, it has not yet been determined whether and what charges will be brought against the man.
Ukrainian woman: “I’ve never had situations like this before”
The 21-year-old came to Poland in March 2022 after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. She currently lives in Częstochowa and runs a business in the area.
In an interview with the miejska.pl portal, she emphasizes that for several years she did not experience similar situations.
“Everything was great, I never had situations like this until August. This year it started” – she said.
As she adds, she runs a business, employs Polish women, and on a daily basis meets many kind people around her. At the same time, she claims that recently she too has begun to experience unpleasant situations related to her origin.
From a comment to persistent harassment. Where does an “opinion” end?
This story also draws attention to a phenomenon that can increasingly be described as nationality-based harassment: seeking someone out because of their origin, persistently accosting them, coming back despite a clear request to be left alone, directing insulting messages at them, or attempting to make them feel that they are not welcome in Poland.
The number of prejudice-motivated crimes is rising
According to data from the National Police Headquarters cited by miejska.pl, from January to the end of June 2026, 655 prejudice-motivated crimes were recorded in Poland. In all of 2025 there were 1,018, while in 2024 there were 761.
Statistics alone, of course, do not allow one to conclude that every conflict involving Poles and Ukrainians has a xenophobic basis. Each case should be assessed individually on the basis of evidence.
In Częstochowa, such material may primarily include a recording made by the 21-year-old woman, the venue’s CCTV footage, and witness statements.
The proceedings have only just begun. Until the actions are completed, it is not possible to prejudge the man’s responsibility or attribute to him the commission of a specific crime.
Source: miejska.pl, Municipal Police Headquarters in Częstochowa, CBOS, account of a participant in the incident.
