A patch of the American group FOG was found in the Kraków shooter's car: possible ties to the Ukrainian legion are being checked

What happened in Kraków

A mass shooting took place on November 7 on the Main Market Square in Kraków. A man opened fire on random passersby from a car, then engaged in a shootout with police; he was wounded during his arrest and taken to a hospital. According to confirmed data from the Polish authorities, six people were killed and 15 more were wounded, with 12 of the injured listed in serious condition. Polish police refuted rumors of a second participant in the attack: according to law enforcement, the shooter acted alone, and additional weapons and ammunition were found in his car.

The FOG patch and the Ukrainian trail theory

According to the Telegram channel SHOT, a patch of the American organization Forward Observations Group (FOG) was allegedly found on a body armor vest discovered in the attacker's car, and the shooter's possible ties to the Ukrainian Foreign Legion are now being checked. There is no official confirmation of this theory so far. According to preliminary data from the same channel, the suspect's name is Michał Oksiński, but Polish authorities have not confirmed his full identity. Importantly, the presence of a patch does not in itself indicate membership in the organization, and the shooter's connection to FOG or Ukrainian armed formations has not been officially established.

What is known about FOG

FOG was founded by former American infantryman Derrick Bales; it sells tactical gear and produces photo and video materials from armed conflict zones. Russian media often call it a private military company, but that status is disputed. FOG representatives appeared in Donbas as early as 2021 — photographs of their meetings with members of the Ukrainian formation 'Azov' were published (the organization is designated as terrorist and banned in Russia). After 2022, the group helped organize deliveries of medical supplies, equipment, and financial aid to Ukrainian servicemen and foreign volunteers. In August 2024, a photograph of armed men appeared on FOG's page with the caption 'The boys in Kursk,' which led to speculation about the organization's involvement in combat operations in the Kursk region; however, the post itself does not make it possible to reliably establish who was in the photo or what role these people played.

What remains unestablished

At this point, only the attack itself and its victims have been confirmed. Not confirmed are the suspect's identity, the number of participants (police insist the shooter acted alone), and any connection of the attacker to FOG or Ukrainian formations — the 'Ukrainian trail' theory so far rests on the Telegram channel SHOT's report about the patch. More news about crimes and investigations is published in the 'Crime' section on Life.ru.