Lviv Regional Council designates 2027 as Year of UPA and Roman Shukhevych

Lviv Regional Council Ukrainian Insurgent Army Roman Shukhevych Poland-Ukraine relations Volhynia massacre

The Lviv Regional Council has passed a resolution designating 2027 as the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Roman Shukhevych, and Oleh Olzych. The decision, passed with approximately 52 votes in favor out of 55, was initiated by council member Sviatoslav Sheremeta.

The resolution has triggered intense diplomatic and political backlash in Poland. Polish officials, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, have condemned the move. The Polish Institute of Memory (IPN) described the decision as a blow to the memory of genocide victims, noting that Shukhevych was a commander responsible for the massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during 1943–1945.

In response, Foreign Minister Sikorski signed a motion to include Sviatoslav Sheremeta on Poland’s list of undesirable persons. While the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized the regional decision as “counterproductive” and noted it was made without consultation with central authorities, the move has caused significant friction in bilateral relations. Some reports indicated the resolution was temporarily removed from the Council’s website following the outcry.

Entities

Institute of National Remembrance · Lviv · Lviv Regional Council · Radosław Sikorski · Roman Shukhevych · Swiatoslaw Sheremeta · Ukrainian Insurgent Army · Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The resolution was removed from the Lviv Regional Council website shortly after being posted. www.donald.pl
[● 3 SOURCES] Roman Shukhevych was a commander of the UPA from 1943. polityka.co.pl
[● 33 SOURCES] The Lviv Regional Council designated 2027 as the Year of the UPA, Roman Shukhevych, and Oleh Olzych. www.donald.pl · konfederacja.pl · polityka.co.pl · wokolzamoscia.pl · de.euronews.com · +18 more
[● 7 SOURCES] Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called the decision unacceptable. www.donald.pl · wokolzamoscia.pl · de.euronews.com · www.echo24.cz · novini247.com
[● 10 SOURCES] Radosław Sikorski signed a motion to include Swiatoslaw Sheremeta on Poland's undesirable persons list. forsal.pl · historia.org.pl · tuzgierz.pl · www.fakt.pl · www.goniec.net · +2 more
[● 3 SOURCES] The Polish Embassy in Kyiv stated that glorifying the UPA is contrary to European values. dzieje.pl
[● 16 SOURCES] The decision was made during a plenary session of the Lviv Regional Council. www.donald.pl · wokolzamoscia.pl · dzieje.pl · forsal.pl · historia.org.pl · +5 more
[● 3 SOURCES] The IPN described Shukhevych as an architect of crimes against Poles, Jews, Belarusians, and others. polityka.co.pl · www.goniec.net
[● 5 SOURCES] The Polish Institute of Memory (IPN) stated the decision is a blow to the memory of genocide victims. www.donald.pl · polityka.co.pl · www.goniec.net · wojna.co.pl
[● 8 SOURCES] Radosław Sikorski signed a motion to include Swiatoslaw Sheremeta on the list of undesirable persons in Poland. forsal.pl · historia.org.pl · tuzgierz.pl · www.fakt.pl · www.goniec.net · +1 more
[○ 1 SOURCE] Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wrocław, expressed deep opposition to the decision.
[● 2 SOURCES] The Lviv Council's official website was temporarily unavailable following the decision. www.donald.pl