In Gdynia, Poland, vandals steal Free Ukraine Square sign, consul says
In Gdynia, in northern Poland, unknown vandals stole a sign bearing the Polish inscription “Free Ukraine Square” (Plac Wolnej Ukrainy). The Ukrainian Consulate in Gdańsk has asked local police to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
Oleh Vysochan, consul at the Ukrainian Consulate in Gdańsk, commented on this to Ukrinform.
“This happened on the night of last Friday into Saturday. After this information became public, we immediately contacted the police, submitted a formal request, and are also in contact with the city administration. The police immediately began searching, but so far the perpetrators have not been apprehended,” Vysochan said.
According to him, the police have issued a public appeal asking for any information that could help identify the perpetrators.
He emphasized that the Ukrainian side views this act not merely as hooliganism, but as a “provocation aimed at defiling the symbols of our friendship.”
He noted that this is already the fourth such incident in the past two years. In a previous case, the perpetrator, who did not conceal his face and filmed the vandalism, was apprehended.
“We are in constant contact with the police. I want to emphasize that such acts of vandalism and hooliganism are in no way capable of destroying the solid foundation of Ukrainian-Polish relations and friendship,” Vysochan stressed.
He expressed his gratitude to the Gdynia City Hall and all concerned Poles for their immediate response and words of support.
The consul also noted that on previous occasions, the city authorities had replaced the stolen plaques at their own expense.
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The District Court in Warsaw ruled that the extradition of Russian archaeologist Aleksandr Butyagin to Ukraine, where he is suspected of conducting illegal excavations in occupied Crimea, is lawful.
Photo: Gdynia.pl/Przemysław Kozłowski