Zelensky congratulates Poland on 106th anniversary of Battle of Warsaw, recalls Ukrainian soldiers' role in halting 1920 Bolshevik offensive

Zelensky's message to Poland

On 15 August 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted congratulations to Poland on the 106th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw and Polish Armed Forces Day on the platform X. He recalled that Ukrainian soldiers helped Polish defenders hold Warsaw and halt the Bolshevik march westward 106 years ago, framing the historical alliance as a precedent for present-day cooperation against Moscow. Zelensky stated that Moscow must lose today in the same way, and that the joint efforts of nations matter because the fate of Ukraine and its neighbors is being decided.

We congratulate Poland on the anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw and Polish Armed Forces Day. We remember how the fate of the Polish nation and state was decided in this battle, and how the Bolshevik offensive was halted by joint forces. One hundred and six years ago, Ukrainian soldiers helped Poland's defenders in the defense of Warsaw and in stopping the march of Bolshevism westward.

We remember how much we can achieve by helping each other. We fight for freedom.

Ukrainian military and diplomatic congratulations

Earlier on 15 August, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine congratulated Poland, thanking the country for military support, soldier training, logistical assistance, and shelter for Ukrainian families. The General Staff wrote that on this day Poland commemorates the victory in the Battle of Warsaw of 1920, when the Polish Army together with units of the UPR (Ukrainian People's Republic) Army halted the Bolshevik invasion and defended freedom. They added that the common fight against Moscow imperialism, lasting over a century, continues today on the Ukrainian front.

Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Wasyl Bodnar, also sent congratulations. He stated that Ukraine, defending its independence today, understands well how important strong and well-prepared armed forces are for a country. He recalled the memory of the victory in the Battle of Warsaw of 1920, the "Miracle on the Vistula," and the brotherhood in arms of Polish and Ukrainian soldiers who together stood against Bolshevik aggression, calling it an important part of shared history. Bodnar thanked the Polish authorities, the Polish military, and the entire nation for consistent support.

Commemoration at Zadwórze

Piotr Łukasiewicz, head of the Polish embassy in Kyiv, reported on X that he and representatives of Polish organizations in Lviv, clergy, scouts, consuls, military attaché officers, and guests from Poland honored the memory of Polish soldiers at the village of Zadwórze near Lviv. It was there on 17 August 1920 that a unit under Captain Bolesław Zajączkowski repelled attacks by Bolshevik forces moving to support their troops during the Battle of Warsaw. Łukasiewicz said he spoke during the ceremony about service to the fatherland and soldiers' sacrifice, and about Ukrainian soldiers who "in this same minute of our celebration and reflection in Zadwórze are repelling another Kremlin onslaught in the east of their Fatherland."

Those heroes and today's heroes are an inspiration to us. Honor to their lives and memory. And both anthems, Polish and Ukrainian, sound beautiful and heroic, and will never fall silent.

Historical background of the holiday

The Battle of Warsaw, fought in August 1920, ended with the victory of the Polish Army over the Red Army and halted its westward offensive. It was the decisive battle of the Polish-Bolshevik War, known as the "Miracle on the Vistula" and recognized as the 18th turning-point battle in world history. The day of 15 August was established as Polish Armed Forces Day in 1923. After 1947 the holiday was observed in May, then on 12 October marking the anniversary of the Battle of Lenino, and since 1992 Polish Armed Forces Day has again fallen on 15 August. Historians note that the victory was not a supernatural miracle but resulted from breaking enemy ciphers, prior knowledge of Bolshevik plans, and a developed strategy to defeat them.