UPA monument near Hrubieszów vandalized again

Police in Poland are investigating the vandalism of a monument and burial site for Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) soldiers in the Białystok area of the Dołhobyczów commune, near Hrubieszów. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, September 6, involved the destruction of inscriptions on a stone obelisk.

This marks the second act of vandalism at this site in recent weeks. A previous incident involved the monument being defaced with spray paint and an integral decorative arch being cut away. Authorities are investigating the matter as a potential hate crime based on nationality, as well as property damage and the desecration of a burial site.

The site commemorates 41 UPA soldiers who died fighting NKVD forces in February 1946. The Embassy of Ukraine in Poland has previously condemned such acts, stating that burial sites and memorials should remain respected and kept outside of political disputes. Local authorities noted that the graves in the Dołhobyczów commune are not currently listed in the official registry of war graves and cemeteries maintained by the Lublin Voivodeship.