Ukrainian-Polish search in Putnyky finds no mass grave
Ukrainian and Polish specialists completed another stage of searches at the former village of Putnyky in Ternopil region without finding a mass burial site. They investigated the northeastern part of the old cemetery, laid 36 exploratory trenches covering about half a hectare, and identified the cemetery boundary and remains of three structures.
Key points
- The third stage of searches began on 4 November 2026.
- Seven Ukrainian and Polish specialists took part in the expedition.
- Researchers laid 36 exploratory trenches covering about 0.5 hectare.
- The team identified the old cemetery boundary and remains of three objects.
- No mass burial site was found during the completed stage.
- A LiDAR survey is planned to help locate a possible mass grave, with its permit still being processed.
- Searches in Putnyky are planned to continue in 2027.
Why it matters
The search aims to locate the remains of inhabitants killed during the February 1945 attack and the burning of Putnyky. Since the latest stage did not produce a mass grave discovery, further noninvasive surveying remains necessary. The work also advances Ukrainian-Polish cooperation in documenting and recovering victims of the Volyn tragedy.
What happened
A seven-member Ukrainian-Polish expedition completed the third stage of search and excavation work in Putnyky. Specialists surveyed the northeastern section of the village's old cemetery and used equipment to lay 36 exploratory trenches across roughly half a hectare. They determined the cemetery boundary and found remains of three objects, provisionally identified as a cemetery chapel foundation, a farm building, and a stone structure that may have formed part of a road. No mass burial site was discovered. The team plans to use a LiDAR survey to map the terrain and help locate a possible grave, but the required permit was still being processed when the findings were published.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes the joint expedition, the participation and professional supervision provided by Ukrainian specialists, and the search's connection to victims of the Volyn tragedy. It also highlights the archaeological results at the cemetery, the planned LiDAR survey, continued searches in 2027, and the participation of Ukrainian and Polish officials and about 40 descendants of the village's residents at the September 2025 reburial.
Where reporting differs
Estimates of the number killed in the February 1945 attack vary: Polish data cited in the supplied material indicate about 80 local residents of Polish origin were shot, while broader estimates place the death toll among Polish residents at 50 to 120. Responsibility also remains disputed. Polish historians attribute the shooting to units of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, while some Ukrainian historians suggest it was a Soviet intelligence provocation. The records also differ on the chronology of the searches, describing work beginning on 1 September in different years alongside a third stage that began on 4 November.
Background
Ukrainian and Polish specialists conducted earlier excavations in Putnyky from 23 April to 5 May 2025 under Ukrainian professional and security supervision. They recovered the remains of 42 people, who were reburied at the old cemetery in September 2025. DNA research on the remains is being conducted in Poland. Residents were relocated to the Polish settlements of Nemyślowice and Ratovice in June 1945, and the Soviet authorities abolished the village in 1949. Its hilly terrain, forests, and dense undergrowth make searches difficult.