Volyn tragedy: Minister Tochytskyi details agreements with Poland on exhumation works

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Mykola Tochytskyi.

As the minister noted, the Ukrainian-Polish group established last December, which deals with complex issues of bilateral relations, has held three meetings to date, the latest on March 30. Kyiv and Warsaw exchanged lists of locations where they would like to conduct search and exhumation work.

“As of today, on a parity basis, we have one positive response from the Ukrainian and Polish sides to carry out such work. After the first search or exhumation work is completed, we, together with our Polish counterpart (Polish Minister of Culture Anna Wroblewska - ed.), will issue a statement and tell audiences in both countries of the results in detail,” Tochytskyi said.

According to him, “all logistical issues in both locations, issues regarding the participants in the work, are currently being discussed in detail.”

He noted that ensuring the safety of the participants in these works is an “absolutely key issue” that both countries are working on.

Answering the question of whether it is worth expecting more permits for search and exhumation work later this year, Tochytskyi emphasized that the parties are “working on the issue,” noting that “this is a two-way street.”

As Ukrinform reported, during a working visit to Poland, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Mykola Tochytskyi, met with the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, Anna Wroblewska to discuss the activities of the working group on historical issues.

In January 2025, Ukraine gave the Polish side consent to launch exhumation work in search of the Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy who died in April 1945.

Earlier, the Ukrainian side confirmed that there were no obstacles to conducting search and exhumation works in Ukraine.

Exhumation of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy in the former village of Puzhnyky in Ternopil region will begin after the Easter holidays.

The topic of the Volyn tragedy remains one of the most controversial issues in Ukrainian-Polish relations. Poland insists that the Ukrainian side bears sole responsibility for the crimes committed in the area in 1943-1945. Ukraine, in turn, emphasizes that both sides bear responsibility, so the apology should be mutual.

The topic of the Volyn tragedy has been actively exploited by Russian propaganda to pit the Ukrainian and Polish peoples against each other.