Over half of Poles say Zelenskyy's UPA unit naming worsened their view of Ukraine, poll finds

The decision and its historical weight

In late May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy granted the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA" to the Separate Special Operations Centre "North" of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a military organisation active from 1942 to 1954 and subordinate to the Bandera faction of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists, is held responsible for the Volhynia massacre — a genocidal campaign on pre-war Polish Eastern Borderlands aimed at altering the region's ethnic composition. Up to approximately 100,000 Poles died as a result of UPA actions, with the peak of the killings occurring in the summer of 1943.

Polish political reaction

The decision triggered a sharp response across Poland's political spectrum. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz all spoke out. Kosiniak-Kamysz sent a video message directly to President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian media. Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, was summoned to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki conveyed Poland's concern. President Karol Nawrocki announced he would seek to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, awarded in 2023 by former President Andrzej Duda. The Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle convened on 8 June to consider the matter; its recommendation has not been disclosed, and presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz stated that the president would announce a decision "in due course."

“The president will make a decision in due course.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha later explained that the name "Heroes of the UPA" had been chosen by the soldiers of the unit itself and appealed against escalating the dispute. Over the weekend, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, Kyrylo Budanov, visited Poland and met with Polish officials who conveyed Warsaw's position on the matter.

The poll results

The SW Research survey, conducted for rp.pl among 800 adult internet users on 9–10 June 2026, found that 51.9% of respondents said the decision worsened their attitude toward both Ukraine as a state and its citizens. Nearly one-third (31.9%) said it had not changed their stance, while 4.5% said it improved their view. A further 11.7% had no opinion on the issue.

Worsened51.9%

No change31.9%

No opinion11.7%

Improved4.5%

Worsened

51.9 %

No change

31.9 %

No opinion

11.7 %

Improved

4.5 %

Data from the article text

Demographic breakdown

The negative shift was more pronounced among men (58.6%) than women (45.5%). By age, the largest deterioration was recorded among respondents up to 24 years old. By education, those with basic vocational education were most critical (57%). In income terms, respondents declaring a net monthly income of up to 3,000 złoty showed the strongest negative turn (57.9%). Geographically, residents of cities with populations between 100,000 and 199,000 were most affected, with 63.2% reporting a worsened attitude.

The sample was drawn using a random-quota method and weighted analytically to reflect the structure of Poland's adult population by key socio-demographic variables.