Joint Polish-Ukrainian Dig Uncovers WWII Massacre Victims Near Border

Archaeologists from Poland and Ukraine have exhumed more than 50 bodies from World War II mass graves in western Ukraine, aiming to identify the victims and ease long-standing tensions.

In fields of sunflowers and forest near the Polish frontier, joint Polish-Ukrainian teams are carefully uncovering human remains from World War II-era mass graves tied to the Volyn massacres. Over fifty bodies, including a significant share of children, have been exhumed, though none have yet been identified. Anthropologists such as Olga Mineiko note the chaotic burial pattern, suggesting victims were forced barefoot into the pits.

The Institute of National Remembrance, represented by deputy president Karol Polejowski, is gathering genetic material and urging descendants to submit DNA to facilitate identification. The effort follows a diplomatic row sparked by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy naming a unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which Poland condemned as glorifying genocide. Both governments hope the forensic work will help heal historical wounds and pave the way for memorial projects announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Plans are also under way to rebury the recovered individuals in the very soil where they lived and dreamed.