Attack on Variazh
| Attack on Variazh | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Anti-communist resistance in Poland (1944–1953) and Anti-Soviet resistance by UPA | |||||||||
Church of St. Mark in Variazh | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
Ukrainian Insurgent Army Cursed soldiers | Citizens' Militia (MO) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Maryan Lukasevych | Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
1 killed 1 wounded[1] |
8 killed 2 captured[1] | ||||||||
The Attack on Variazh was a joint action of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and former anti-communist Home Army (AK) troops (cursed soldiers) against Citizens' Militia (MO), on 27 May 1945.[2]
Prelude
On 21 May, 1945, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and former AK troops concluded an alliance in the village of Ruda Różaniecka. On 27 May, this was followed by a joint UPA-AK attack on Citizens' Militia (MO) outposts in Variazh, likely a first such major action of the alliance. The insurgents distributed leaflets to the local population to inform them about the new UPA-AK alliance in the area.[3]
Attack
The AK partisans provided a list of communist officials that UPA should go after. The attack begun with UPA destroying MO outposts, with some of the insurgents dressed in Polish uniforms. Insurgents shelled two MO police stations from mortars. UPA searched every house for the people provided on the list.[1]
As a result of attack, insurgents released 20 detained Ukrainians, captured 2 MO policemen, killed 8 officials and troops. Captured policemen were executed in the forest near Radkov after interrogation. Insurgents suffered 1 killed and another wounded as a result of MO shooting from inside the church. However, UPA insurgents didn't shell the church due to civilian presence and wanting to uphold the truce.[1]
Aftermath
During the second UPA attack on Variazh on October 5, 1946, 2 Polish Army soldiers and 4 policemen were killed, 67 residential buildings and over 158 farm buildings were burned down.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d "Грубешівська операція 1946 р. – від протистояння до співпраці". expedicia.org (in Ukrainian). 11 January 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ Grzegorz Motyka; Rafał Wnuk (1997). Motyka G., Wnuk R. “Pany” i “rezuny”. Współpraca AK-WiN i UPA 1945-1947 (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo: Oficyna Wydawnicza VOLUMEN. p. 92. ISBN 83-86857-72-2.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: publisher location (link) - ^ Grzegorz Motyka; Rafał Wnuk. PRÓBY POROZUMIENIA POLSKO--UKRAIŃSKIEGO WOBEC ZAGROŻENIA SOWIECKIEGO WLATACH 1944–1947 (in Polish). p. 27.
- ^ Siekierka, Szczepan; Bulzacki, Krzysztof; Komański, Henryk (2006). Ludobójstwo dokonane przez nacjonalistów ukraińskich na Polakach w województwie lwowskim 1939-1947 (in Polish). Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Stowarzyszenie Upamiętnienia Ofiar Zbrodni Ukraińskich Nacjonalistów. p. 1022. ISBN 978-83-85865-17-9.