War in Ukraine: Unprecedented diplomatic crisis between kyiv and Warsaw, Volodymyr Zelensky returns his medal to Poland

Have you missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Here is the gist of this Saturday, June 20, 2026, on the 1,577th day of the conflict.

Fact of the day

At least one person was killed Saturday in a Russian bombing of the city of Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, according to local authorities. “Following an enemy aerial bombardment using guided bombs, a strike was reported in a residential area,” Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov wrote on Telegram. “Unfortunately, during search and rescue operations, the body of a deceased person was found under the rubble of the destroyed building,” he added. At least nine people were injured in the attack, according to the head of the city’s military administration, Oleg Synegoubov.

Today’s statement

« The conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and shocks our allies »

The words are from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, on X, as an unprecedented diplomatic crisis broke out between the two neighbors. Polish President Karol Nawrocki had withdrawn the Order of the White Eagle – Poland’s highest distinction – from Volodymyr Zelensky the day before in protest against the Ukrainian decision to name a military unit after the UPA, a nationalist organization held in Poland responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 Poles during the Second World War. Volodymyr Zelensky immediately returned the medal.

The Ukrainian response did not stop there. Foreign Minister Andriï Sybiga, head of the presidential administration Kyrylo Boudanov and Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar have all announced that they will return their own Polish decorations. Kyrylo Boudanov judged Karol Nawrocki’s decision “a gift given to the Moscow aggressor, who will not fail to use it against our two countries.” Andriï Sybiga spoke of “unjustified, impulsive and contemptuous measures”, deploring a “useless escalation”. On the other hand, the former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev was quick to rejoice in the quarrel over X, accusing kyiv of proximity to Nazism.

The number of the day

187this is the number of Ukrainian drones that Moscow claims to have shot down in a single night over Russian territory, including in the Moscow region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The trend

The crisis between kyiv and Warsaw reveals an old and still vivid memory divide. The two countries agree on the facts – massacres did take place during the Second World War – but differ on the words: Warsaw speaks of genocide, kyiv of “tragic conflict in a context of war”. In Poland, the memory of the victims has become a central element of “historical diplomacy”, particularly under the leadership of nationalists, sometimes linking support for Ukraine (or its integration into the EU) to the resolution of this historical dispute. An explosive equation, from which Moscow intends to take advantage.