Around 30 human remains of Ukrainians killed in 1944 found in Lasków

A Ukrainian search expedition in Poland has discovered around 30 human remains. Preliminary assessments indicate that these are the remains of Ukrainians who died as a result of an attack by units of the Home Army and the Peasant Battalions in March 1944. Work is being carried out at an Orthodox cemetery in the village of Lasków in Lublin Voivodeship.

Details of the search operations

The research is being conducted on commission from the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR). The search itself is being carried out by the municipal enterprise "Dolia", which received the relevant permit from the Polish side on 31 August 2026. During the site inspection, specialists recorded both individual and mass graves.

The head of the enterprise, Sviatoslav Sheremeta, noted that the results obtained confirm information from the memoirs of former residents of Lasków who managed to survive the events of March 1944. He added that the search for burial sites will continue, and the next stage will be exhumation research. Once completed, the victims are planned to be reburied, and their memory will be honoured with dignity.

Historical context of the tragedy

According to historical data, a mass killing of Ukrainians took place in Lasków on 10 March 1944, resulting in the deaths of over 300 people. Based on the findings of Ukrainian and Polish historians, data has been established on 327 residents of the village who died in 1944. Meanwhile, some historians cite a higher number of victims — around 350 people.

The final number of the dead still needs to be established. This requires further historical research and search operations to clarify the circumstances of the burials.

International cooperation

The search research is being conducted in fulfilment of the agreements reached by the Ukrainian-Polish Working Group on Dignified Burials. The head of the UINR, Oleksandr Alfyorov, emphasised the importance of honouring all the dead with dignity, regardless of their origin or nationality. He also thanked the Polish side for the opportunity to conduct the research.

According to the institute, previous similar search expeditions, during which human remains were discovered, took place in 2016. This is already the second search expedition by the Ukrainian side in Poland after a long break. In autumn 2025, the first such work, based on an official permit from the Polish authorities, was carried out in the village of Yurechova.