A mass grave of Poles murdered in 1945 by Ukrainian nationalists has been found in the village of Puźniki in the Ternopil region of Ukraine. The finding was announced by Minister Michał Dworczyk.

“This is the first case in over nine years of finding the remains of Poles, victims of Ukrainian nationalists, in Ukraine. The search was conducted by specialists (archaeologists, anthropologists) from the Polish Genetic Database of Victims of Totalitarianisms – Pomeranian Medical University, a representative of the Institute of National Remembrance, Ukrainian archaeologists and Polish volunteers from the Freedom and Democracy Foundation and the Polish Scouting Association”, said Dworczyk.

The crime in Puźniki occurred on the night of 12-13 February 1945. The attack was preceded by a similar crime committed on the night of 5-6 February in Barysh. The perpetrators of the crimes were a unit of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) commanded by Petr Khamchuk “Bystry”, who twice organised murderous raids across the territory of the former Tarnopol Voivodeship.

The first raid took place in autumn 1944, and another in January and February 1945. “During the second raid, about 300 Poles, mostly women and children, were murdered”, said Dr Daniel Markowski, a researcher of Ukrainian Insurgent Army’s crimes in Podolia.

“No complete Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation can take place without finding all the remains of the victims of the Volhynian Massacre. We must close this painful wound in the history of both nations”, said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, referring to the unearthing of a mass grave in Puźniki, Ukraine.

“We have already applied to the relevant Ukrainian institutions for permission for exhumation, research and a dignified burial. Importantly, people involved in the work include residents of nearby villages. We will not rest until we have commemorated all the crimes of Ukrainian nationalism in Volhynia and Podolia”, pointed out the Prime Minister.

Adrian Andrzejewski