NEW – April 29, 2022
Part 1 can be found here, part 2 – here, part 3 – here
The crimes of Ukrainian nationalists against their own people have no statute of limitations
The Ministry of Defence of Russia continues to publish archival materials – documentary evidence of numerous atrocities of Ukrainian nationalists-Banderists on the territory of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic during the Great Patriotic War and in the post-war years.
The publication of the documents is aimed at preserving the historical memory and the truth about the bloody mass crimes and atrocities of Ukrainian nationalists against their people, which have been deliberately forgotten by the criminal Ukrainian regime in recent years.
Documents provided by the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
During the liberation of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Red Army was opposed not only by Hitler’s troops, but also by numerous gangs of Ukrainian nationalists. The latter, unable to give a strong rebuff, avoided direct clashes. They chose terror as their fighting method, which, among other things, was aimed at the civilian population.
Having found themselves in the deep rear of the Soviet troops who had gone to the west, Ukrainian nationalists massively committed robberies, killed and tortured people, destroyed infrastructure and objects of the national economy. Despite decisive measures to combat them, Ukrainian nationalists continued their terrorist activities in the first post-war years.
ARCHIVAL MATERIALS ABOUT THE ATROCITIES OF UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS AND BANDERISTS
As the front line moved further and further to the west, the Ukrainian nationalists remaining in the rear became more and more active. On the liberated territories, they began to actively intimidate and kill their compatriots loyal to the Soviet government, while not sparing the elderly, women and children. To prevent this violence and fight against terrorists, NKVD officers carried out operations to eliminate nationalist gangs.
Memo of the head of the NKVD troops for the protection of the rear of the 1st Ukrainian Front on the results of the fight against banditry in the western districts of the Lvov region for the period from August 22 to September 7, 1944
In order to destroy the nationalists, the NKVD organs introduced a wide network of agents into their band, with the help of which their locations were established. As a result of this work, 36 gangs were liquidated in the Lvov region in a short period (from August 22 to September 7, 1944), 3,217 were destroyed and 1,098 nationalists were captured.
A brief description of the actions of Banderist groups in the Khodorkovsky and Stshelistka Nova districts on December 31, 1944
The actions of nationalist gangs in two districts of the Drogobych region are described.
Attached to the document are two diagrams/maps of districts, which depict the locations of bandit formations and their zones of influence
Reference of the NKVD Department of the Lvov region about the operational situation as of April 1, 1945
The document cites various facts of terrorist actions of Banderists during which bandits robbed and killed civilians, military personnel, as well as their relatives. Cases have been recorded when, for their atrocities, they dressed up in the uniform of NKVD officers and Red Army soldiers.
Memo of the Head of the NKVD troops for the protection of the rear of the 1st Ukrainian Front from August 27, 1945
In the Lvov region, units of not only the NKVD, but also the Red Army were sent to those districts where bandits operated.
This made it possible to successfully fight OUN “according to the outlined plan in the above-mentioned districts.”
LIQUIDATION OF NATIONALIST GANGS BY THE RED ARMY
To fight the Ukrainian nationalists, not only NKVD units, but also the Red Army, were sent to the districts where they operated. Soviet servicemen carried out a combing of forests, swamps and fields, identified the location of gangs, surrounded them and systematically destroyed them. The nationalists tried to avoid direct clashes in every possible way. They preferred to ambush single soldiers or small groups. Killing Red Army soldiers, the bandits subjected them to excruciating torture.
Memo of a member of the Military Council of the 1st Ukrainian Front on the course of liquidation of Ukrainian nationalist gangs in the rear of the front
Nationalists attacked a passing car. During this act, four servicemen were brutally killed. “The corpses of the dead were cut up, eyes were gouged out, tongues, noses and ears were cut off.
Lieutenant T. Martynyuk’s stomach was cut open and his hands were chopped off. Sergeant Sidorov and one Red Army soldier were half-burned.” Only the driver, who was seriously injured, managed to survive.
In a number of districts of the Lvov region from August 22 to September 7, 1944, 3207 armed nationalists were destroyed. At the same time, the losses of the Soviet NKVD and Red Army troops amounted to 43 killed.
Report of the Political Department of the 1st Ukrainian Front from February 5, 1944
The document describes in detail the structure of the Ukrainian nationalist organisations of Banderists, Melnikists, Bulba adherents. Their goals, means and methods of work, including mass terror, are outlined. “The nationalists carried out the mass extermination of the Polish, Jewish population, as well as Ukrainians who did not sympathise with the nationalists. The arrested Banderist Ivan Nikolaevich Vasyuk testified that the detachment he was in attacked the Polish villages of Stariki, Vyazevka, Ugli, etc., where he destroyed about 1,500 residents.” It is noted that among the local Ukrainian population, including the western areas of the country, the nationalists do not have any broad sympathy and support.
Report of the Chief of Staff of the 43rd Reserve Rifle Division from June 1, 1945
In the Nikolaev district of the Drogobych region, two Banderists gangs, which take away livestock from the local population, commit robberies and brutal murders of civilians, massacring entire families, mainly operate.
Report of the Political Directorate of the 1st Ukrainian Front from June 24, 1944
Partisan detachments also actively participated in the destruction of Ukrainian nationalists. And the elimination of gangs led to the final establishment of peaceful life and significantly increased the confidence of local residents in the Soviet government:
“The mood and attitude of the local population to the organs of Soviet authorities and the Red Army has changed. The clergy began to advocate for supporting the Soviet authorities and the Red Army.”
Report of the Military Council of the Red Army Southern Air Defence Front from July 13, 1944
The document reports on numerous attacks by nationalists on Red Army soldiers. Episodes of clashes are given.
Report of the commander of the 105th Reserve Rifle Regiment of the 43rd Reserve Rifle Division from June 23, 1945
In addition to describing the actions of Red Army soldiers performing tasks to eliminate nationalist gangs, the report also reveals the tactics of bandits, which, due to the success of Soviet units, has changed significantly: “At the beginning of the year, the bandits acted in detachments and large groups.
According to the testimony of the prisoners, the bandits are currently acting as [in the document there is a word here that surely has a typo, and it’s thus unclear what word was originally intended to be printed – SZ] or, at the very least, as militants, and during clashes with the Red Army, they drop their weapons and hide alone.”
Memorandum of the Political Department of the 101st Rifle Corps from August 8, 1945
UPA gangs are operating in the area of the location of units of the 101st Rifle Corps. These gangs commit terrorist acts against Soviet and party activists, as well as against military personnel and veterans. “In the last days of July, a disabled Patriotic War medal-bearer, comrade Kir, his mother and a girl activist were hanged.”
Reports of the Political Department of the 38th Army from September 28 to November 11, 1945
In the areas where the troops are located, there has recently been an increase in the activity of nationalist gangs, which is expressed in the fact that bandits attack civilians, as well as single servicemen or small detachments of the Red Army.
The document contains specific facts characterising the actions of the nationalists.
“On the night of September 19th to 20th, servicemen of the 167th Division, privates Kozin and Kotin, were captured by Banderists in the village of Lubochek. The captured were subjected to excruciating torture. Bandits tore off the left ear of the Red Army soldier Kozin, gouged out his eyes, cut his jaw and neck with an axe, burned his legs and hands with fire.”
REPORTS OF POLITICAL DEPARTMENTS OF REGIONAL MILITARY ENLISTMENT OFFICES
The documents contain facts of violence by Ukrainian nationalists against civilians in the Rovno, Ternopol, Stanislav, Drogobych and Lvov regions of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Many recorded cases of terrorist and sabotage activities of bandits relate to the post-war period.
ROVNO REGIONAL MILITARY COMMISSARIAT
Political report of the political department of the Rovno Regional Military Commissariat to the head of the Political Department of the Lvov Military District on the actions of gangs of Bulba adherents and Banderists in the districts of the Rovno region as of September 18, 1944
It is noted that, despite a number of measures taken by the Soviet authorities, the actions of nationalist gangs are becoming more and more active in a number of regions. Moreover, the bandits show incredible brutality: “Two brothers Ozarchuk, who live in the village of Pustomity, were taken from their homes by Banderists for appearing at the Regional Military Commissariat, and their corpses were found four kilometres from their place of residence. Banderists cut off the head of one of them, cut it into four parts and cut off the legs.”
TERNOPOL REGIONAL MILITARY COMMISSARIAT
Report of the Political Department of the Ternopol Regional Military Commissariat from March 20, 1945
There is some change in the methods of the nationalists’ fight: “Feeling their death, in addition to direct terrorist acts and murders from around the corner of representatives of the District Military Commissariat and Soviet party activists, they began to switch to methods of more covert fighting – through propaganda, holding meetings among the population, they try to attract the local population to their side.” Although at the same time nationalists continue to commit terrorist acts: “There is a gang of up to 150 people in the Koropetsky district. On January 30, it attacked the village of Ust-Zelenoye, as a result of the gang attack, 23 people of the Polish population were killed.” Here, the same gang “captured the NKVD operative Lieutenant Nesterenko, who was subjected to brutal torment and tortured to death (arms and legs were twisted and the stomach was cut).”
Report of the political Department of the Ternopol Regional Military Commissariat from May 25, 1945
The document cites individual facts of bandit actions of nationalists, including: the disruption of mobilisation, destruction of infrastructure, attacks on civilians and military personnel, robberies, threats to the local population. At the same time, the nationalists killed the elderly, women, and children.
Reports of the Political Department of the Ternopol Regional Military Commissariat from October 3 and November 5, 1945
In September 1945, in the Ternopol region, as a result of large-scale mass-political work among the local population and the actions of Red Army units, the activity of Banderist gangs significantly decreased.
However, at the same time, small groups of nationalists, anticipating their final death, continue to commit terrorist acts.
Reports of the Political Department of the Ternopol Regional Military Commissariat from June 21 and August 20, 1946
In July-August 1946, numerous cases of killings of civilians by nationalists were recorded in the Ternopol region. It is noted that the intensification of terrorist activity at this time is mainly associated with attempts to disrupt the grain procurement campaign.
Report of the Political Department of the Ternopol Regional Military Commissariat dated November 29, 1946
It is reported that in October-November, Ukrainian nationalists intensified their activities. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is fighting them in two ways: the physical destruction of bandits and negotiations to end senseless resistance and surrender.
It is noted that the second method “so far has little success, bandits voluntarily surrender very rarely.”
STANISLAVSKY REGIONAL MILITARY COMMISSARIAT
Reports of the Political Department of the Stanislav Regional Military Commissariat from October 1 to December 29, 1945
The documents contain numerous facts of bandit actions of Ukrainian nationalists recorded in various districts of the Stanislav region. Among them are characteristic: murders, robberies, sabotage.
DROGOBYCH REGIONAL MILITARY COMMISSARIAT
Report of the political department of the Drogobych Regional Military Commissariat from November 16, 1944
The actions of Banderist gangs in various districts of the Drogobych region and measures to counteract them by the Soviet government are described.
Thus, the NKVD and Red Army units carry out combing of forests, swamps and fields. Despite all these events, Banderists are acting more and more actively.
“In the village of Novoshino, a farm was burned, and the hostess was thrown alive into the fire. She was burned for the fact that her relative is in a fighter battalion under the NKVD.”
Report of the Political Department of the Drogobych Regional Military Commissariat from June 8, 1946
On the territory of the Drogobych region in the period from April 15 to June 5, nationalists killed 198 people, from which only 120 were civilians. 19 houses of villagers were also burned, seven schools and village councils were destroyed, two collective farms and two industrial enterprises were looted, three shops were robbed. At the same time, cases of murders of women and children have been recorded: “In mid-April, a 14-year-old girl was hanged by bandits 800 meters from the house in the village of Slavsko (district centre), and her mother was taken away by bandits and subsequently executed.”
Report of the Political Department of the Drogobych Regional Military Commissariat from October 14 and December 4, 1946
It reports on the atrocities of Ukrainian nationalists recorded in October and November on the territory of the Drogobych region. In one of the above cases: “Having entered the house of a local resident, the bandits forced the female owner of the house to be their guide in the direction of the village of Boberka. Having received the woman’s refusal to be their guide, one of the bandits shot her with a pistol. The bandits warned the husband of this woman not to inform anyone about the incident.”
LVOV REGIONAL MILITARY COMMISSARIAT
Reference of the Political Department of the Lvov Regional Military Commissariat from August 14, 1948
Numerous facts of nationalist atrocities are given.
It is noted that in connection with the beginning of harvesting and delivery of grain supplies to the state, the nationalists were instructed to intensify terror in order to disrupt supplies.
Also, documents were found on one of the murdered Banderists, among which the action program of the UPA gangs was contained.
It says: “In connection with the situation in the West, the primary task of each UPA member is to arm themselves, strengthen terror against the anti-terrorist activity, destroy all Russians and Ukrainians regardless of whether they were sent or are local, but actively help the Soviet government.”
TERRORIST ACTIONS OF BANDERISTS IN THE CARPATHIAN MILITARY DISTRICT
In the zone of responsibility of the Carpathian (Lvov) military district, Ukrainian nationalists intimidated and killed civilians, representatives of Soviet authorities, and military personnel.
Report of the Head of the Utility and Maintenance Department of the Quartermaster Department of the Lvov Military District from January 15, 1945
Nationalists mine and destroy infrastructure facilities, kill and take away citizens, military personnel, very often Banderists act in groups of 10 or more people.
Report of the Political Department of the Carpathian Military District from July 31, 1946
Units of the troops of the Carpathian Military District conducted operations to destroy nationalist gangs. The report provides facts of characteristic bandit manifestations. The following actions are noted as characteristic of nationalists: “When they meet Red Army servicemen, they kill them, mock them beforehand, take away clothes, documents, orders and medals.”
Report of the Political Department of the Carpathian Military District from August 13, 1946
Attached to the document are two leaflets that the nationalists distributed among the population. Numerous atrocities of nationalists are also reported here.
“In the village of Byshkov at the Sledzi farm of the Magerovsky district, 10 bandits robbed the family of a serviceman who died at the front, taking even gifts received from the state support department.”
Memorandum of the Deputy Chief of the Main Political Directorate of the Armed Forces of the USSR from August 31, 1946
On the territory of the Carpathian Military District during the USSR Supreme Soviet elections, 3,500 small military garrisons were created in rural areas. During their actions, the servicemen destroyed 3,295 bandits, and about 12,000 were captured. However, as is noted further, after the withdrawal of troops, the activities of Ukrainian nationalists intensified again, and as a result, 52 acts of sabotage and 62 attacks were recorded on the territory of the district in June and July 1946. As a result, 16 servicemen, 47 Soviet and party activists, and 91 local residents were killed.
Report of the Political Department of the Carpathian Military District from December 10, 1946
It is reported that on the territory of the Carpathian Military District, the terrorist activity of German-Ukrainian nationalists has not stopped yet. Among their methods, propaganda and slander, sabotage, terrorist acts against the population are singled out.
The use of military uniforms by nationalists is separately noted: “Bandits often resort to disguising themselves as Soviet Army soldiers in their insidious methods.
The bandits’ use of the uniforms of Soviet Army servicemen is designed not only as a convenient means of disguise, but mainly the bandits are pursuing the goal of discrediting the Soviet Army in the eyes of the local population.”
Report of the Political Directorate of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the USSR from March 12, 1948
“An armed gang of Ukrainian-German nationalists broke into the village club where Kovalchuk was staying after the end of a performance and committed a brutal massacre of local Soviet activists.
The bandits killed 8 activists, including Corporal Kovalchuk.”
EXCESSES OF UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS ON THE TERRITORIES OF OTHER STATES
Nationalists committed crimes and terrorist acts not only in the USSR, but also on the territory of other states. In the Polish People’s Republic, they killed citizens, burned settlements, blew up bridges and warehouses, attacked small garrisons of the Red Army and Polish Troops. In Austria, armed groups of Banderists in their places of residence robbed the local population en masse.
Report of the Political Directorate of the Northern Group of Troops from January 17, 1946
In the Przemysl district of the Polish People’s Republic, nationalist gangs were operating – they, trying to disrupt the resettlement of Ukrainians from Poland to the USSR, burned settlements, undermined bridges and warehouses, attacked small garrisons of the Red Army and Polish Troops. The document notes that Vlasovists and Germans were also seen as part of these Ukrainian nationalist formations.
Report of the Political Directorate of the Central Group of Troops from November 13, 1947
In October-November 1947, the appearance of armed groups of Banderists was noted on the territory of Austria, robbing the local Austrian population at their places of residence.
The detained gang members testified that they made their way from the Polish city of Sanok to Munich, assuming that Banderist subunits were being formed there.
Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
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