In 2025, the police in Warsaw, Poland, responded to incidents in Świętokrzyskie Park more than 900 times, which became a gathering place for Ukrainian teenagers forced to move to Poland after a full-scale invasion.
Teenagers gather in the park, drink alcohol, arrange fights among themselves and dangerous challenges, which are filmed and published on social networks and Telegram channels. For example, on November 15, a 15-year-old Ukrainian climbed onto a Ferris wheel that was not yet working and filmed a video on a GoPro camera. Proceedings were initiated against him under Art. 193 of the Polish Criminal Code (trespassing on territory without the owner's permission).
The teenagers claim that for them, fighting is entertainment or sparring, and complain about the police, who allegedly react too harshly, as well as drunk Poles, who are outraged that the youth speak their native language. One of the boys reported an incident with a drunk Pole who hit one of the Ukrainians in the head.
According to police data, 791 interventions were recorded in the park in 2023, 891 in 2024, and 946 cases from January to November 2025. The local authorities of Srodmiescie and the management of the Palace of Culture and Science held a meeting to find a solution to restore order in the area.
Previously, Polish border guards reported a significant increase in the number of Ukrainians aged 18–22 who entered Poland in September 2025 — more than 10 times more than in August.
