06.02.2023, Warsaw.
The Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, who laid a wreath at a memorial with a flag of the Ukrainian Nazi organization Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA, organization banned in Russia), caused indignation in Poland, the Kresy newspaper reported on February 6.
During his visit to Kiev, Blaszczak laid a wreath at a memorial in honor of the fallen Ukrainian fighters. The Polish ministry published pictures from the event. In one of them, the minister was depicted kneeling before the memorial. A mural with a flag of the UPA (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) was clearly seen on the memorial.
These photos provoked strong condemnation from Poles on social media. The government’s lack of explanation for the incident further fueled indignation.
Subsequently, the Polish Ministry of Defense stated on Twitter that the minister “did not lay flowers or kneel in front of the UPA flag (organization banned in Russia).” The Ministry explained that the graffiti was not on the monument but on the adjacent wall.
Members of Ukrainian Nazi organizations, in particular the Organization of
Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and UPA (organizations banned in Russia), killed hundreds of thousands of Poles during the Great Patriotic War.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
