Beneath the soil of two now-abandoned villages in western Ukraine, joint teams of Polish and Ukrainian archaeologists are uncovering human bones that lie at the center of a long-standing diplomatic dispute. Disagreements over the historical responsibility for the World War II-era Volyn massacres have cast a shadow over relations between Warsaw and Kyiv for years, even as the two nations have become close allies in recent times.
The massacres occurred between 1943 and 1945 in the Volhynia, Eastern Galicia, and Lublin regions, which were then occupied by Nazi Germany. According to estimates by Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), around 100,000 Polish civilians were killed in a systematic anti-Polish campaign led by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The institute also estimates that at least 10,000 Ukrainians died in subsequent Polish retaliatory attacks. Warsaw officially defines the killings as a "genocide" of the Polish minority, while Kyiv honors the UPA as independence fighters, viewing the events as a wartime "tragedy" that involved mutual casualties.
Today, amidst sunflower fields and quiet forests, experts are carefully excavating the remains of these victims. A simple, handmade wooden cross planted near the graves is one of the only physical reminders that the villages ever existed. So far, the remains of more than 50 people have been recovered, though they have not yet been identified. Researchers estimate that between 30% and 40% of the remains discovered at this particular site belong to children.
Inside a white tent located about six miles from the Polish border, forensic specialists and anthropologists are meticulously analyzing the skeletons, measuring bones, and matching broken skull fragments to determine the age, sex, and cause of death of each individual. Alongside the skeletal remains, a small number of personal items have been unearthed, including rosaries, religious medallions, and shoes. Olga Mineiko, an anthropologist with the Ukrainian Memorial and Search Center, explained at the site that the remains were arranged in a highly disordered manner, noting that most of the bodies had been brought to the burial pit and simply dumped into it.
Karol Polejowski, deputy president of the IPN, stated that the victims were likely driven to the field of death barefoot and without personal belongings. He emphasized the importance of the ongoing work, saying, "We want to restore their first and last names … to fulfil the duty that rests on us as heirs of those who were murdered here." The IPN is actively collecting genetic material and has appealed to Polish citizens who believe they lost relatives in the massacres to provide DNA samples to help identify the remains.
The historical legacy of the UPA remains a highly sensitive topic. The paramilitary organization originally fought the Soviet Union's Red Army for Ukrainian independence, but it also collaborated with Nazi forces during the initial invasion of the Soviet Union, clashed with the Polish resistance, and killed Polish, Jewish, and other civilian populations. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UPA has been widely celebrated in Ukraine as a symbol of resistance against Moscow. However, a major diplomatic rift occurred earlier this year when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named a military unit after the UPA. Although Kyiv insisted the naming was not intended as a gesture against Warsaw, Polish President Karol Nawrocki reacted by stripping Zelenskyy of Poland's highest national honor, the Order of the White Eagle. In solidarity with Zelenskyy, three former Ukrainian presidents subsequently returned their own White Eagle awards to Poland.
In Poland, the issue has become increasingly politicized. Nationalist political parties are utilizing the historical trauma to mobilize their base ahead of next year's parliamentary elections, contributing to an increase in anti-Ukrainian sentiment. This political climate follows a surge in backlash against the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees living in Poland, which became a prominent issue during last year's divisive presidential election won by the right-wing Nawrocki. Despite these internal tensions, Poland remains the primary international hub for routing military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Seeking to ease the tension, the pro-European government of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for de-escalation. Warsaw has welcomed conciliatory gestures from Zelenskyy, including a promise to open classified historical intelligence documents to researchers. Last month, Tusk announced that Poland would establish a national memorial dedicated to the victims of the massacres. "Truth is our duty toward the victims, but also a way to overcome a painful past for the sake of a better future," Tusk stated, adding that "Memory cannot be the servant of hatred. The answer to nationalism cannot be more nationalism."
As political leaders work to repair bilateral ties, the archaeological teams in western Ukraine are preparing for a proper burial for the uncovered victims. Polejowski expressed the ultimate goal of the exhumation project: "We want them to be buried here, where they lived, where each of them had their dreams and plans, and wanted their life to unfold. In this soil they should rest."
The exact number of people killed at the time remains contested, but Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) estimates that about 100,000 people died in the 1943-45 anti-Polish campaign in the Volhynia, Eastern Galicia and Lublin regions. The institute also estimates that at least 10,000 died in Polish attacks
