المستكشفونRevelations Ukrainians and Poles complete third search phase at Puzhnyky site
Ukrainian and Polish specialists completed a third phase of searches at the site of the former village of Puzhnyky in Ternopil region, Ukraine, without finding a mass grave. The team excavated 36 exploratory trenches and plans to continue the search next year, including through a lidar survey once permission is obtained.
أبرز النقاط
- The third phase of Ukrainian-Polish searches began on 4 November 2026.
- Seven specialists took part in the expedition.
- The team laid 36 exploratory trenches covering nearly half a hectare in the northeastern part of Puzhnyky’s old cemetery.
- No mass grave was found during the completed phase.
- Remains that may include the foundation of a cemetery chapel, a farm building and part of a road were identified.
- Permission for a lidar survey of the site was still being processed.
- A 2025 excavation recovered the remains of 42 people, whose reburial took place in September 2025.
لماذا يهمّ ذلك
The searches seek to identify people killed during World War II and locate a possible mass grave at Puzhnyky. Because this phase produced no discovery and the planned lidar survey has not yet taken place, the investigation remains unresolved. The project combines historical research, DNA identification, reburial and participation by descendants across Ukraine and Poland.
ماذا حدث
Ukrainian and Polish specialists completed the third phase of searches at the former village of Puzhnyky in Ternopil region. The seven-member expedition excavated 36 exploratory trenches over nearly half a hectare in the northeastern part of the old cemetery but did not find a mass grave. Participants also identified the probable foundation of a cemetery chapel, a farm building and a stone structure that may have formed part of a road. The team plans to survey the territory with lidar to search for a mass grave once the necessary permit is issued, and the search is expected to continue next year.
كيف تصفه المصادر الأوكرانية
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes the archaeological findings and the systematic search of the old cemetery, including 36 exploratory trenches and the planned lidar survey. It also highlights the role of specialists from the Specialized Institution “Volyn Antiquities,” Ukrainian institutional leadership, and the participation of Ukrainian authorities and descendants in the reburial ceremony.
كيف تصفه المصادر الدولية
The Ukrainian-Polish nature of the expedition is central to international coverage. Polish specialists from the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin and the Freedom and Democracy Foundation participated alongside Ukrainian experts. The earlier excavation in Warsaw was described as a breakthrough in Polish-Ukrainian relations, while DNA testing of the remains continues in Poland and about 40 descendants attended the reburial.
الخلفية
Puzhnyky was burned during an armed attack in February 1945, and some inhabitants were killed. Before the war, the village was compactly inhabited by people of Polish ethnic identity. A joint Ukrainian-Polish expedition excavated the site from 23 April to 5 May 2025 and recovered the remains of 42 people. Their reburial took place in September 2025, and DNA testing of the remains is being conducted in Poland.