Ukraine and Poland are intensifying joint search and exhumation efforts, planning new stages of work in the coming months on both sides of the border. This was reported by the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, emphasizing the bilateral nature of this process.
This is reported by Finway
New Permits and Expansion of Work
Vasyl Bodnar noted that the Polish side has currently received all necessary permits for conducting exhumations on the territory of Ukraine, and part of the work has already taken place in two locations. In the near future, two additional search operations are planned. At the same time, Ukraine has received permits from Poland for search work in three locations, the first stage of which is scheduled to begin in June 2026.
“As of today, we have issued permits and search work has taken place in two locations. In the coming months, there will be additional work in two more locations. Also, on the territory of Poland, we have received permits for conducting search work in three locations, with the first stage planned for June. So this is a bilateral process. The volume and quantity are certainly larger on the Polish side. We are not creating any parity here, as all our resources are currently going to the front, but this process will also continue,” Vasyl Bodnar noted.
According to the diplomat, although the scale of Polish search work is larger, Ukraine is also gradually expanding its activities, considering the limited resources due to the state of war.
The Impact of Historical Issues on Relations
The ambassador emphasized that historical issues, particularly the Volhynian tragedy, significantly affect Ukrainian-Polish relations. In 2024, the topic of exhumations defined the dynamics of cooperation between the countries – from political to economic levels. Working to resolve these historical issues has helped reduce political tension and remove them from the agenda.
Vasyl Bodnar stressed that a constructive approach to search and exhumation work allows for avoiding conflicts in society and maintaining stable cooperation between Ukraine and Poland in various fields – from healthcare to European integration.
The Ukrainian-Polish working group on historical memory has already outlined plans for search and exhumation work for 2026. Last year, Ukrainian researchers conducted search operations in Poland for the first time, particularly in the village of Yurechkova in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, where the remains of UPA soldiers were not found, but searches are planned to continue.
In 2025, Polish specialists carried out exhumation work on the territory of Ukraine – specifically in the former village of Puzhnyky in the Ternopil region and the former village of Stari Zboishcha, which is now part of Lviv.