Polish and Ukrainian officials are coordinating exhumations in the Volhynia region, following an agreement reached last month.
The process aims to recover the first bodies from the 1943 massacres, where the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) killed around 100,000 Polish civilians.
Victims also included Armenians, Jews, Russians, Czechs, and Georgians, as historians confirm.
Officials Confirm Exhumation Plans in Western Ukraine
Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, confirmed on Saturday that permits have been issued for a mass grave exhumation.
Poland’s minister of culture and national heritage, Hanna Wróblewska, announced on Tuesday that the exhumation will involve Polish and Ukrainian experts.
Authorities identified the burial site in 2023 in Puzhnyky, where they now plan to carry out excavations in April.
Exhumations Aim to Ease Tensions Between Poland and Ukraine
The project will include scientific research, such as DNA testing and forensic analysis to determine causes of death.
Poland recognizes the Volhynia massacres as genocide, while Ukraine views them as a shared conflict with mutual responsibility.
Officials hope the exhumation process will improve bilateral relations, ensuring closer cooperation on historical and diplomatic matters.
