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Ukrainian man detained after killing priest and injuring four in knife rampage at Polish abbey

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

The Abbey of Benedictine Sisters in Jarosław, Poland, where a stabbing rampage by a 31-year-old Ukrainian man left one priest dead and three others fighting for their lives.
The Abbey of Benedictine Sisters in Jarosław, Poland, where a stabbing rampage by a 31-year-old Ukrainian man left one priest dead and three others fighting for their lives.

Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz was stabbed to death at the Benedictine Sisters' Monastery in Jarosław, south-eastern Poland, after a 31-year-old Ukrainian national attacked five people on abbey grounds at around 9.30am on Thursday. The suspect, who had entered Poland from Germany earlier that morning, also left a second priest, Father Marek Piekowski, in surgery with multiple stab wounds to his chest and lower limbs. Two victims remain in a critical, life-threatening condition, prosecutors confirmed.

The attacker first struck a priest in a nearby café before entering the abbey itself, where he stabbed a further four people, including nuns and laypeople.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the attack 'has shaken us all and demands a firm response from the state', while Ukrainian President Zelensky said he was 'shocked by this evil'.

Sister Barbara Dendor recalled arriving to find 'total panic', with young bystanders screaming: 'Some madman, some madman!'

MoreGB NewsPriest killed and four others injured after knifeman's stabbing spree inside historic Polish churchBBC NewsPriest killed and four injured in knife attack at Polish abbeyDaily RecordPriest killed and four injured in stabbing at historic monasteryNew York PostSuspect in custody after stabbing at Polish abbey leaves one dead, four injured - New York PostDublin LivePriest dead and four others injured during stabbing at historic monastery
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