Polish Historian on Volhynia: UPA Initiated Ethnic Cleansing.

According to inkorr.com: Polish historian Lukasz Adamski shared his thoughts on the tragic events in Volhynia during World War II. He noted that the UPA initiated ethnic cleansing, while the Polish side was forced to respond with defensive actions.

“All are unknown in terms of casualty numbers, but they agree on what happened in Volhynia due to the actions of the UPA. They only disagree on different scenarios for future communication with Ukraine, and also on the number of victims – from hundreds of thousands of Poles to several tens of thousands of Ukrainians,” the scholar explained.

According to Adamski, the Polish side did not seek ethnic cleansing in the territory occupied by the Nazis. He also emphasized that the Polish defense significantly differed from the actions of the UPA, which, in his opinion, pursued emotional goals.

Controversies Surrounding UPA

Adamski acknowledges the importance of the UPA's fight against the Soviet regime, but points out that this organization was responsible for ethnic cleansing among both Poles and Ukrainians who did not support its ideas.

“UPA has significant merits before the Ukrainian people in resisting Soviet aggression, but it also became the initiator of ethnic cleansing, both among Poles and among Ukrainians who were not on the same wavelength with it,” the historian noted.

At the same time, the Polish scholar expressed disagreement with the position of Ukrainian politician Volodymyr Vyatrovych, who tries to present the UPA in a heroic light, which causes disputes.

Lukasz Adamski believes that the events in Volhynia resulted from the actions of the UPA, which committed ethnic cleansing against the Polish population. Although he recognizes the importance of the UPA's fight against the Soviet regime, he does not support the heroic image of this organization promoted by Vyatrovych.

Adamski's research emphasizes the complexity of understanding history in the context of Ukrainian-Polish relations. The contradictions in the assessments of the UPA's actions demonstrate how important it is to maintain objectivity and consider the murders that took place during the war, regardless of today’s political views.