Ukraine planning exhumation of Ukrainians improperly buried in Poland
Ukraine is preparing to begin exhumations in September of the remains of Ukrainians buried in Poland, Deputy Culture Minister Andrii Nadzhos told Ukrinform in an interview published on Aug. 6.
The move follows a December 2024 exchange of potential exhumation sites between Ukraine and Poland.
Exhumation is a sore spot in Ukrainian-Polish relations, particularly surrounding the Volyn massacres between 1943-1945, during which the Ukrainian Insurgent Army killed tens of thousands of Poles. Thousands of Ukrainians were killed by Polish militants in retaliation.
The first exhumation on Ukrainian soil since 2017 began in April in the former village of Puzhnyky, Ternopil Oblast, marking what officials on both sides called a breakthrough after years of a de facto moratorium. The ban was imposed by Ukraine following acts of vandalism targeting Ukrainian memorials in Poland.
During the exchange late last year, Poland suggested over 13 locations for exhumations, while Ukraine provided four. Work is currently underway at Zboiska cemetery in Lviv, where the remains of Polish soldiers killed during the early stages of World War II are being exhumed for reburial.
According to Nadzhos, the first exhumations of Ukrainian remains in Poland will begin in the village of Yurechkova following a preparatory visit scheduled for mid-August. The excavation is expected to start before the autumn rains.
Nadzhos said Ukraine is trying to lower political tension by conducting joint search operations and respecting Polish concerns.
While defense and diplomatic cooperation between Ukraine and Poland has intensified since Russia's full-scale invasion, historical disputes continue to complicate Ukraine's aspirations for European integration.
Polish leaders have at times suggested that Kyiv's EU path could be slowed unless further progress is made on resolving these issues.
