Zelensky Calls for Faster Exhumation of Volhynia Victims

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine aims to accelerate search operations in villages where victims of the World War II Volhynia tragedy are buried.

In a video address on July 11, a day marking the anniversary of the events, Zelensky announced that exhumation work will commence in two days on the territory of the villages of Ostriwky and Wola Ostrowiecka.

“Ukraine is doing its part to honestly establish the facts regarding those killed in those years: search operations are being conducted where there were villages and where there were victims. Ukraine is interested in accelerating them,” Zelensky said.

He noted that representatives of the Ukrainian and Polish states participated in joint prayers on July 11. The president stated that establishing the truth and honoring the deceased is necessary, but added that historical discussions should not jeopardize the future of bilateral relations or European security.

He identified Russia as a current, shared threat to the independence of both nations.

Polish defense minister defends Patriot missile transfer

Discussions on historical memory run parallel to ongoing defense cooperation between Kyiv and Warsaw. In Poland, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz defended the government’s recent decision to transfer Patriot missiles to Ukraine, pushing back against domestic political criticism.

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Kosiniak-Kamysz responded to remarks by Marcin Przydacz, head of Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s International Policy Bureau, who questioned the missile transfer.

Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that providing military support to Ukraine serves Poland’s national interest. “Transferring several Patriot missiles at the request of the US and the NATO secretary general is not something bad – it is something good,” he said.

The minister characterized criticism from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party as contradictory, noting that the previous administration also supplied Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including tanks and aircraft.

Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that President Nawrocki was informed about the Patriot missile transfer but emphasized that the authority and responsibility for such decisions rest with the government. The defense minister cited ongoing security threats from Russia, including cyberattacks and GPS signal jamming, as the basis for maintaining support for Ukraine’s defense efforts.