Ukraine and Poland will launch a new search operation in Huta-Peniatska
On June 8, joint Ukrainian-Polish search operations will begin in the village of Huta-Peniatska in the Lviv region. Experts from both countries will attempt to pinpoint the exact burial sites of those who died during the tragic events of February 1944.
This is one of the first major projects agreed upon by the parties following the agreements between Ukraine and Poland on the resumption of search and exhumation operations.
Ivan Verbytskyi stated that Ukrainian and Polish specialists will be working in Huta-Peniatska. The expedition will include representatives of the LLC “Specialized Institution ‘Volyn Antiquities’” as well as experts from the Institute of National Remembrance of the Republic of Poland.
Ukrainian experts will provide scientific oversight of the work. “On June 8, joint Ukrainian-Polish search operations will begin in Huta-Peniatska, Lviv Oblast, with the aim of locating the burial sites of the remains of the village’s residents who tragically perished in February 1944,” Ivan Verbytskyi reported. Funding for the work is provided by the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.
Why Huta-Peniatska?
Huta-Peniatska is one of the most famous memorial sites in Ukrainian-Polish history from the time of World War II. In February 1944, the village was destroyed, and hundreds of its residents were killed. For many years, this tragedy has remained the subject of historical research and commemorative events in both Ukraine and Poland.
That is why the search for the burial sites of the victims of those events has not only scientific but also humanitarian significance. Experts hope to determine the exact location of the graves and obtain new information about the events of that time.
The decision was made at the intergovernmental level
According to Verbytskyi, the work is being carried out in accordance with agreements between the presidents of Ukraine and Poland. The issue was also discussed by a special Ukrainian-Polish intergovernmental working group that deals with historical issues and memorial sites. In December 2025, this group identified a list of locations where search and exhumation work should take place first in 2026. This list includes:
- Huta-Peniatska;
- Puzhnyky;
- Holosko;
- Ostrivky;
- Uhly.
All of these settlements are located in Ukraine. At the same time, work is planned in Poland as well. Among the identified locations are:
- Yurechkova;
- Laskiv;
- Sagryn.
A New Phase of Cooperation
In recent years, the issue of historical memory has repeatedly been the subject of complex discussions between Kyiv and Warsaw. However, recently, both sides have expressed their readiness to work together on searching for the missing, identifying burial sites, and honoring the memory of victims regardless of their nationality.
That is why many view the start of work in Huta-Peniatska as an important step toward continuing the historical dialogue between the two countries. In the coming weeks, the expedition will work directly on-site, after which experts will publish the results of their research and report whether they have managed to identify new burial sites of victims of the 1944 tragedy. This was announced by Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Culture, Ivan Verbytskyi.
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