President Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft has returned to Poland after a series of foreign visits that deliberately avoided Polish airspace, according to flight tracking data. The plane flew from Chișinău to Kraków late on Monday, having earlier arrived in the Moldovan capital from Tallinn, where Zelensky attended a summit of Nordic and Baltic states. The unusual routing comes amid a fresh diplomatic row between Kyiv and Warsaw over Zelensky’s decision to confer the title of “heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army” on a special operations unit, a move that has reignited historical grievances in Poland.

Ukrainian officials have sought to downplay the significance of the flight path. Foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi dismissed suggestions that the detour was politically motivated, calling such interpretations “artificial” and urging against politicising logistical and security decisions. However, the shift from the usual departure point of Rzeszów in Poland to Chișinău for a trip to London earlier this month has drawn scrutiny. Analysts in Kyiv note that while protocol services handle presidential logistics independently, the timing of the change—coinciding with the UPA controversy—suggests a deliberate signal of displeasure from the Ukrainian side.

From Warsaw’s perspective, the incident underscores a broader deterioration in bilateral relations. Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies since Russia’s full-scale invasion, but historical disputes over the UPA—a nationalist formation that fought both Soviet and Polish forces during World War II—remain a sensitive issue. The Polish government has not officially commented on the flight detour, but observers in the region view it as a symptom of growing friction. Meanwhile, in Tallinn, Zelensky used the summit to propose a “drone deal” with the Baltic states, offering Ukrainian expertise in countering unmanned aerial vehicles and joint production arrangements, a move that highlights Kyiv’s focus on practical military cooperation even as diplomatic tensions simmer with its western neighbour.

Looking ahead, the episode is likely to be a temporary irritant rather than a rupture. Both Ukraine and Poland have strong incentives to maintain their partnership, particularly given the ongoing war. Yet the careful choreography of presidential travel—and the public denial of political motives—suggests that both sides are aware of the fragility of the relationship. As one European diplomat put it, the skies over Eastern Europe are becoming as contested diplomatically as they are militarily.