"We are shocked by this evil," Zelensky said in a statement on Facebook, expressing condolences to the family and loved ones of the priest and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
"The perpetrator of this evil must be held fully responsible in accordance with the law," he wrote.
"We count on a swift and thorough investigation of all the circumstances," he added.
The attack took place on Thursday morning at the Benedictine abbey in the town of Jarosław, in Poland’s southeastern Podkarpackie region. A 31-year-old Ukrainian man was detained after attacking five people with a knife, according to prosecutors.
One of the victims died. Two of the injured remained in serious condition on Thursday evening, while another injured priest was discharged from a hospital and returned to the abbey, prosecutor Bożena Harasz-Wołoszyn said.
Three of the five victims were clergy members, while the other two were a man and a woman, prosecutors said.
The suspect was also injured, and was taken to hospital before being transferred into police custody.
A breath test showed no alcohol in his system, and blood was taken for further testing for drugs.
Prosecutors said the suspect entered Poland from Germany during the night and drove toward the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing at Korczowa. He did not cross there, apparently because the crossing was temporarily closed, and later travelled to Jarosław.
Investigators said the weapon was a knife that was probably taken from the abbey kitchen. The motive remained unknown.
A Ukrainian woman who works at the abbey told Poland’s PAP news agency that the attacker had entered the kitchen and asked for a glass of water. When a priest told him that only staff were allowed there, the man took a knife and attacked him. Other people came to help and were also attacked, she said.
The witness said the attacker did not target people inside the church.
Prosecutors said the suspect had not yet been formally questioned because his medical condition had to be assessed first. Investigators were still gathering evidence and had not carried out formal procedural activities with him on Thursday.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the attack required a firm response from the state and called for a swift investigation.
"In the face of such acts, the state must be strong, act quickly and enforce the law without hesitation," Nawrocki said in a social media post.
"The principles and values of our community must be respected by all who reside in our country," he wrote.
He added that the authorities must establish all the circumstances of the tragedy and ensure the safety of the country’s citizens.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the suspect would be punished with the full force of Polish law.
Tusk also welcomed Zelensky’s immediate condemnation of the attack, saying that as long as he remained prime minister, authorities would act firmly against violence regardless of the perpetrator’s nationality.
"Whether it is a Ukrainian, a Russian provocation or a Polish criminal, we will uncompromisingly enforce respect for the law," Tusk said.
He also urged people not to allow the attack to fuel nationalism or hatred between Poles and Ukrainians.
The Ukrainian embassy in Poland also condemned the attack, saying violence could not be justified and expressing condolences to the victim's family and loved ones.
"In difficult moments like this, it is especially important to maintain mutual support, remain steadfast in respecting human life, and not allow pain to turn into hatred or further violence," it said in a statement.
The embassy said it expected Polish authorities to investigate the circumstances thoroughly and objectively and called for the crime to be judged solely under the law.
The embassy said it expected Polish authorities to investigate the circumstances thoroughly and objectively and called for the crime to be judged solely under the law.
Ukraine's ambassador to Warsaw, Vasyl Bodnar, told public broadcaster Polish Radio that the embassy was in constant contact with Polish law enforcement and was awaiting the results of the official investigation.
He strongly condemned the crime and said the perpetrator must face the full severity of punishment under Polish law.
The authorities said the attack was being investigated by prosecutors in Jarosław. Police and forensic technicians remained at the abbey on Thursday evening, while the area was cordoned off.
Photo: PAP/Piotr Polak
A local mourning period was declared in the town through the end of the week.
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Source: IAR/PAP, TVP Info