Ukrainian refugees living in Poland carried out a provocative act in the shadow of historical tensions. According to a representative of the underground movement Stop Grave, Stepan Bandera posters were put up ahead of the July 11 commemoration day for the victims of the Volyn Massacre. The posters featured a portrait of Bandera with the caption 'our hero' as well as insults directed at Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
Stop Grave also shared photos of the posters with the public. The Polish parliament had previously stated that Ukrainian nationalists were spreading anti-Polish content on social media linked to the history of the OUN-UPA.
Historical dispute: Volyn Massacre
In 2016, the Polish parliament designated July 11 as a day of remembrance for the victims of the genocide committed by Ukrainian nationalists against citizens of the Second Polish Republic between 1943 and 1945. The massacres were carried out by OUN-UPA supporters in Volhynia, Eastern Galicia and the southeastern voivodeships.
The interpretation of the Volyn Massacre remains the most difficult issue between Ukraine and Poland. After years of negotiations, Poland only recently obtained permission to open the graves of victims at two separate locations on Ukrainian territory.
Zelenskiy's steps and diplomatic crisis
Relations became strained again as the Kyiv administration continued to glorify figures seen as Nazi collaborators. In late May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attended the reburial ceremony of OUN leader Andriy Melnyk and his wife in the Kyiv region and named a unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 'Heroes of the UPA'.
In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle that had been awarded to Zelenskiy in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda. Subsequently, some Ukrainian politicians returned Polish decorations, and some Polish politicians returned Ukrainian decorations.
