Poland and Ukraine Divided by 83-Year-Old War Graves Amidst Shared Stance Against Russia

As Poland and Ukraine stand united against Russian aggression, the discovery of remains from an 83-year-old mass grave in western Ukraine has reignited historical tensions between the two neighbors. Joint Polish-Ukrainian teams are conducting exhumations in the former villages of Ostrówki and Wola Ostrowiecka, with the Polish National Remembrance Institute (IPN) confirming the recovery of 49 bodies to date.

The excavation, which began on July 13 and is scheduled to conclude on August 7, 2026, is taking place at three sites. These include a mass grave on former farmland, another near the foundations of a former school, and a single grave near a local cemetery. The IPN plans a reburial ceremony on August 30, coinciding with the anniversary of the villages' massacre in 1943. Genetic samples are being collected from the remains to aid in identification, with the IPN appealing to families of victims from Ostrówki and Wola Ostrowiecka to provide DNA samples.

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We want to give them back their names.

While archaeologists are cooperating effectively on the ground, political relations between Warsaw and Kyiv have soured due to differing views on the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). This historical dispute resurfaced on May 26, 2026, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree honoring the UPA. The exhumation work itself requires careful attention, as unexploded ordnance from World War II may still be present in the area. Polish historian Leon Popek, whose grandfather was among those killed in 1943, is leading the search for remains, highlighting the personal significance of the mission.

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This is where my roots are.