Man attacks Ukrainian children on bus in Poland; police launch investigation
In Bielsko-Biala, Poland, police have begun investigating an incident on a bus during which an adult man verbally abused and touched a group of children from Ukraine, Slawomir Kocura, a spokesperson for the Bielsko-Biala police headquarters, reported the local news outlet bielsko.biala.pl.
The incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on July 11, 2026. At the time, a group of 12- and 13-year-old Ukrainian girls was riding bus route No. 8. The route is popular among tourists because it runs from the train station practically to the Szyndzielnia mountain cable car.
The incident came to light after a video of the encounter surfaced on social media.
“These bastards grew up on our money. […] Soon it will all be over, you […] will go to Ukraine. I know where you live. […] Call your mother. Do whatever you want,” the man was audible, saying to the children in the video.
At one point, one of the girls asked the man not to touch her, to which he replied: “Not touch you? Get the hell out of this country. You are just another Ukrainian whore.“
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The video sparked a wave of outrage, with social media users noting that none of the adult passengers intervened to protect the children and advising that the incident be reported to law enforcement.
City police spokesperson Slawomir Kocura said investigators began looking into the details of the incident without a formal complaint from the victims. They are currently cooperating with the transit operator, which is expected to provide surveillance camera footage.
“There is no place and will be no support for xenophobia in Bielsko-Biala,” Kocura added.
The attacker was later identified as an employee of the city’s public transit company who was on sick leave at the time.
ZMINA previously reported in Ukrainian that unidentified individuals recently vandalised the grave of Ukrainian scholar Bohdan Lepkyi in Krakow.
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