Second phase of search operations to begin in Puzhnyky, Ternopil region

Archaeologist Alina Kharlamova told Ukrinform that a joint Ukrainian-Polish expedition will carry out the work.

"The search expedition of Ukrainian and Polish researchers in Puzhnyky will begin on June 22. We expect the work to last about a week. We will examine an area located near the old cemetery. We will use specialized equipment and drilling tools. We also plan to involve sappers to inspect the territory," Kharlamova said.

On the Ukrainian side, the work will be conducted by specialists from the archaeological institution Volyn Antiquities. The Polish side will be represented by a team from the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin.

Poland will also be represented by the initiators of the search project from the Freedom and Democracy Foundation, including its vice president Maciej Dancewicz, a descendant of victims believed to be buried at the site. Other relatives, as well as representatives of the Institute of National Remembrance and the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, are also expected to attend.

On the Ukrainian side, representatives of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory and the memorial-search center Dolya Memorial Search Center will monitor the operation.

As Ukrinform reported, the first phase of exhumation work in Puzhnyky took place from April 23 to May 5, 2025. A joint Ukrainian-Polish expedition conducted the work under Ukrainian professional and security supervision.

During that phase, the remains of 42 individuals were discovered. DNA testing of the remains is currently being carried out in Poland.

In September, a reburial ceremony for the recovered remains was held in the Ternopil region, attended by Ukrainian and Polish officials as well as about 40 descendants of former residents of Puzhnyky.

The exhumation project conducted in Puzhnyky in spring 2025 was described in Warsaw as a "breakthrough" in Polish-Ukrainian relations.

In December 2025, the Polish side received approval to proceed with the second phase of search operations at the site.