Second phase of search for mass grave of Poles concludes in Puzhnyky, Ternopil Oblast

The second phase of search operations aimed at locating the remains of Poles who lived in the former village of Puzhnyky and were killed during an armed attack in 1945 has concluded in Ukraine's Ternopil Oblast. No mass grave was found.

Source: Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance

Details: Over the course of four days, the expedition excavated around 50 exploratory trenches, but the search yielded no results.

Among the discoveries were parts of a wooden coffin, buttons, and what are believed to be the remains of footwear. These findings may point to the coffin burial of an individual civilian, unrelated to the tragic events.

Alina Kharlamova, an archaeologist at the specialist institution Volyn Antiquities, told Suspilne Ternopil that there are still several ideas and hypotheses as to where the mass grave in Puzhnyky could be located.

She added that Volyn Antiquities holds a permit to conduct search operations for one year. Therefore, if the Polish side submits a request to Ukraine's Ministry of Culture, the search in Puzhnyky could continue later this year.

For reference: Puzhnyky was a former village in Ternopil Oblast that had a large Polish population between the wars. In February 1945 it was attacked by an armed group. Some of the residents were killed, and the village itself was burned to the ground.

Puzhnyky was officially "liquidated" by the Soviet authorities in 1949. The site of the former village was left uninhabited, and the forest gradually took over.

Background:

• Search operations were first carried out in Puzhnyky in August 2023. The first exhumations of murdered residents took place in April and May 2025. The remains of 42 people were identified during this phase, and they were reburied on 6 September.
• The next phase of the search for mass graves in Puzhnyky began on 22 June 2026. The work was carried out by Volyn Antiquities with the involvement of Polish experts from the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, as well as representatives of the Freedom and Democracy Foundation and Poland's Institute of National Remembrance.
• The search had been due to continue until 28 June.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon to help us keep reporting!