Polish City Suspends Ties with Lviv over Ukrainian Insurgent Army Commemorations

What happened

The Polish city of Przemysl has voted unanimously to suspend cooperation with the Ukrainian city of Lviv in protest against Lviv's council decree declaring 2027 as the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and its leader Roman Shukhevych, Polish broadcaster RMF24 reported on October 26.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. This decision follows Lviv's council adopting symbolic decrees on October 20 commemorating the UPA, Shukhevych, and Ukrainian poet and activist Oleh Olzhych, actions that have escalated tensions between Poland and Ukraine. The dispute has the potential to spread, with the Lublin regional assembly also supporting severing ties with Lviv.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described Lviv's move as "suicidal tactics" and stated he warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that such gestures are damaging the already fragile Ukraine-Poland relations. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the decrees counterproductive amid efforts to strengthen bilateral ties during Russia's full-scale aggression.

Known from the source

• Przemysl city council voted to suspend cooperation with Lviv on October 26.
• Lviv city council declared 2027 as the Year of the UPA, Shukhevych, and Olzhych on October 20.
• Lublin regional assembly supports severing ties with Lviv, as reported by RMF24.
• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the Lviv decree, calling it 'suicidal tactics.'
• Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the decrees counterproductive for Ukrainian-Polish relations.

What remains unclear

In a related escalation, Warsaw declared Sviatoslav Sheremeta, head of Lviv's regional council cultural committee, persona non grata, banning him from entering the Schengen area until 2031. Polish officials emphasize the UPA's association with the Volyn massacres during 1943-1945, a traumatic historical event where tens of thousands of Poles were killed, and characterize Shukhevych as a criminal and Nazi collaborator.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify additional local Polish authorities' responses or similar suspensions beyond Przemysl and Lublin. Confirm if there are updated official statements from Kyiv government or Foreign Ministry beyond those reported. Clarify precise diplomatic impact and if any follow-up negotiations or actions are planned.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Kyiv Independent. Open the source.