Ukrainian-Polish team launches search for WWII soldiers in Lviv

A Ukrainian-Polish expedition has launched search and exhumation efforts at the site of a former cemetery in Lviv’s Zboishche district. The mission aims to locate and rebury the remains of Polish Army soldiers who died during the defense of Lviv in 1939.

The information was released on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

The fallen soldiers represented various nationalities.

This work is part of a broader bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Poland, aimed at fostering a shared understanding of historical events.

“The memory of the victims of the Second World War is not only about the past—it reflects our present-day values: dignity, mutual respect, and the ability to engage in dialogue. Ukrainian-Polish cooperation is a powerful example of how joint efforts can help both nations restore historical memory and justice,” said Andrii Nadzhos, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications for European Integration.

According to Yevhen Boyko, head of the executive committee of the Lviv City Council, the cemetery remained in use until the 1960s and was officially liquidated in 1987. In the 1990s, a symbolic wooden cross was erected at the site bearing a Polish inscription: "To the soldiers of the Polish army who fell in the defense of the Fatherland in September 1939."

The exhumation work is expected to continue until August 30.

As reported, exhumation work began on April 24 in Puzhnyky, located in Ukraine’s Ternopil region. The excavations were carried out by a joint team of Ukrainian and Polish experts.

During the operation in Puzhnyky, the Ukrainian-Polish expedition uncovered the remains of 42 individuals.

In July 2025, Ukraine granted official permission to the Polish side to carry out exhumations of Polish soldiers killed in 1939 and buried in the former village of Zboiska, now part of Lviv.