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Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exhumations of Volyn massacre Polish victims begin in western Ukraine
A team of Polish and Ukrainian researchers on April 24 began exhuming Polish victims of the World War II-era Volyn massacres in what is today western Ukraine, the Polish media reported. Forensic experts, archeologists, and geneticists began their work at 9 a.m. local time at the site of the destroyed Puzhnyky (Puzniki in Polish) village in Ternopil Oblast. This is the first such exhumation since 2017, when Ukraine imposed a moratorium in response to the destruction of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) memorials in Poland. The Volyn massacres, which peaked in 1943-1944, took place in the Nazi-occupied territory of what is now western Ukraine during World War II. UPA members killed tens of thousands of Poles, while thousands of Ukrainians were killed in retaliation. The massacre represents one of the most painful chapters of the Polish-Ukrainian history and has continued to strain mutual relations to this day. UPA fighters are believed to have killed between 50 and 120 Poles in Puzhnyky overnight on Feb. 13, 1945. The settlement no longer exists, and the area has been overgrown with vegetation, but close to 80 victims may remain buried here. The research team includes Polish experts from the Freedom and Democracy Foundation, the Pomeranian Medical University, and the Institute of National Remembrance, as well as Ukrainian researchers from the Society of Volyn Antiquities. Maciej Wrobel, state secretary at the Polish Culture Ministry, told Polsat News that the goal is to identify the victims and ensure dignified burial. He also said that the work is complicated by Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, and warned against possible Russian disinformation operations. In recent months, the Polish and Ukrainian governments have made efforts to resolve the issue of the Volyn exhumations, with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk announcing a "breakthrough" in January. Multiple Polish government and opposition officials have said that Warsaw would block Ukraine's entry into the EU and NATO unless the matter is resolved. Read also: Chechen scholar: Russia's cowardly violence in Ukraine is driven by desperation We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exhumation of remains of Poles killed in 1945 begins in Ukraine's Ternopil Oblast
The exhumation of the bodies of Polish citizens who were killed in 1945 began in Ukraine's Ternopil Oblast on 24 April, at the site of the disappeared village of Puzhnyky. [The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.] Source: European Pravda with reference to the Polish radio station RMF FM Details: A Polish-Ukrainian team of researchers, including forensic doctors, archaeologists, geneticists, and anthropologists, is carrying out the exhumation work. On the Polish side, researchers from the Freedom and Democracy Foundation, scientists from the Pomeranian Medical University, and representatives of the Institute of National Remembrance are working on the site. Representatives of the Ukrainian foundation Volyn Antiquities are also participating in the work. "Polish citizens, whose identities have been established, were killed in Puzhnyky. We want to identify all the victims of that tragic night in 1945 and give them a decent burial. This is what their families are waiting for, and they are involved in the process, for example, by providing us with genetic material [for comparison]," said Maciej Wróbel, State Secretary of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, before the exhumation began. It is estimated that around 80 people were killed in Puzhnyky during the tragic events of 1945. The work is not easy, as the cemetery and mass grave, the place where the exhumations are carried out, are located in the middle of a forest. Transporting several tonnes of specialised equipment was a challenge. Rainy weather could have made the road more difficult. However, the weather is sunny this morning in Ternopil Oblast. Background: In response to the mass destruction of Ukrainian monuments in Poland in 2015-2017 and the insufficient investigation of these crimes, Ukraine imposed moratoriums on the search and exhumation of the remains of Poles killed in 1943-1945 by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. For years, the issue of exhumations has been a bone of contention in relations between Ukraine and Poland. The new Polish government, headed by Donald Tusk, put pressure on Kyiv to lift the moratorium. Warsaw even said that the resolution of historical disputes would be a prerequisite for Ukraine's accession to the EU. It became known in January that the Freedom and Democracy Foundation, which discovered the Puzhnyky grave site two years ago, had received permission from the Ukrainian authorities to dig up the remains and conduct further research. This news comes after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced a breakthrough in the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy earlier this year. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exhumations of Volyn tragedy victims to begin this spring, Ukraine's ambassador to Poland says
Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, has confirmed that work on the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy will begin this spring. [The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.] Source: Bodnar on Polish news channel TVN24, as reported by European Pravda Details: "We intend to begin exhuming the victims of the Volyn massacre this spring at the first approved site in Puzhnyky. Efforts are also underway to secure decisions for exhumations at all other locations in both Ukraine and Poland," he said. When asked if the exhumations in Puzhnyky would begin in April, Bodnar said, "We don't know the exact month yet, but we are making preparations so that, weather permitting, all necessary authorisations are secured and the Polish team is ready to proceed". "Ukrainian law stipulates that a Ukrainian company must be licensed to carry out such work and the Polish side already has such a partner (...) This collaboration is advancing with a Ukrainian institution that has obtained all the necessary permits and once the teams begin excavation together, the public will be informed and an official announcement will be made through the ministers of culture," Bodnar said. Background: Earlier, it was reported that Poland's Freedom and Democracy Foundation, which discovered the burial site in Puzhnyky two years ago, had obtained permission from the Ukrainian authorities to exhume the remains and carry out further research. Reports indicate that approximately 80 people lost their lives in Puzhnyky during the tragic events of 1945. In early January, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced a "breakthrough" in the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy, though he did not disclose any details. On the other hand, Andrii Nadzhos, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Culture for European Integration, said that Ukraine and Poland had exchanged lists of places to search for and exhume the remains of mutual historical conflicts. At the end of November, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha issued a joint statement confirming that Ukraine had no objections to Polish state institutions and organisations conducting search and exhumation work. Support UP or become our patron!
