Search forgraves of victims of 1943 tragedy has begun at sites of destroyed villages in Volyn
Search operations will be conducted in the former villages of Ostrivka and Volia Ostrovetska in the Volyn region to locate the graves of victims of the events of August 1943. Ukrainian and Polish experts will join the expedition.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported on the website of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
Where will the search take place, and how long will it last?
"On April 20, 2026, search operations will be conducted in the area of the former villages of Ostrivka and Volia Ostrovetska (now within the Rivne rural territorial community of the Kovel District, Volyn region) to locate the remains of villagers who tragically perished in August 1943. The work will continue until May 1, 2026," the statement reads.
The goal of the expedition is to locate the burial site. If burials are discovered during the expedition, this will serve as the basis for the next stages of the work: exhumation, identification of the remains, and their dignified reburial.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine granted permission to the Polish side to conduct archaeological excavations in 2025 through the Specialized Institution "Volyn Antiquities" LLC.
Polish experts—staff members of the Institute of National Remembrance of the Republic of Poland and the Medical University of Wrocław—will also take part in the expedition.
The work will be accompanied by appropriate safety measures and supervised by Ukrainian scientists.
"The tragic chapters of the shared history of both nations in the 20th century remain a sensitive issue for Poles and Ukrainians. At the same time, a consistent and responsible dialogue on these matters is essential to ensuring that the victims are honored with dignity," said Ivan Verbytskyi, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
Why are the search efforts for the victims taking place here?
As a reminder, in late August 1943 (on the night of August 28–29, or August 30 according to other sources), Ostrivky and Volia Ostrovetska came under armed attack. According to archival sources, the vast majority of the villages’ residents were tragically killed, and the villages themselves were burned to the ground.
It was previously reported that Ukraine and Poland have agreed on plans for search and exhumation operations in 2026.
