Russia’s role in the 1943 Volhynia massacres cited in Polish commentary

In 1943, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and local Ukrainian villagers carried out mass killings of Polish civilians in Volhynia, resulting in an estimated 100,000‑150,000 deaths. Contemporary Polish accounts allege that Soviet partisans also entered the region after the Battle of Stalingrad, fueling the violence, staging attacks, and later assisting in the deportation of Poles and the suppression of the Polish underground. The commentary notes that the Soviet‑era NKVD and later Russian Kremlin have used archival documents to stoke tension between Poland and Ukraine, portraying themselves as the sole keepers of historical truth while denying involvement in the atrocities. The author frames these historical claims as part of ongoing Russian propaganda aimed at undermining Polish‑Ukrainian relations.