Jarosław Kaczyński alleges illegal grave looting in Western Ukraine

Jarosław Kaczyński, chairman of the Polish Law and Justice (PiS) party, has raised allegations regarding illegal excavations in Western Ukraine. According to Kaczyński, groups referred to as ‘black diggers’ are looting graves located on the sites of former Polish villages in Eastern Galicia.

Kaczyński claims that these activities involve the profanation of human remains, including victims of the Volhynian massacre, and the theft of jewelry for financial gain. He suggested that these actions might be occurring with the ‘tacit consent’ of local Ukrainian authorities. PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek noted that the party has received photographic evidence from citizens supporting these claims.

In response, Kaczyński announced intentions to seek explanations and intervention from key Polish state institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to protect Polish interests and address what he described as a criminal procedure. As of the reports, neither the Polish nor the Ukrainian authorities have issued an official response to these specific allegations.