Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, said on Feb. 8 that the preparations for the exhumation of remains of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy are underway.
Speaking in an interview with Polish TV channel TVN24, Bodnar said that exhumation will begin in the spring, but that the exact time will depend on the weather. Work is already underway to determine all the locations in Poland and Ukraine where exhumations will need to be carried out, he said, according to Ukrainian media.
The Volyn tragedy, also known as the Volyn massacres, took place in 1943 in Nazi-occupied territory of what is now western Ukraine during World War II. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) killed tens of thousands of poles. Thousands of Ukrainians were also killed by Polish military in retaliation.
The topic of the massacres and the long-unresolved dispute over exhumation of the remains have strained relations between the two allies. Poland repeatedly raised the issue as a potential roadblock to Ukraine's desire to join the EU, before Speaker of the Polish Parliament Szymon Holownia walked back these statements in September.
A breakthrough on the issue was announced in January, when the two countries agreed to begin first exhumations of the victims. Later in the month, Polish media said that the exhumations would begin in April.
According to Bodnar, Ukrainian legislation requires a licensed Ukrainian company to carry out the exhumations. A Polish partner for the project has been identified, he said.
While Poland is providing the majority of the funding, Ukraine is also financing part of the project, he added.
Daria Svitlyk
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