Warsaw has once again become an arena for sharp historical debates and mass demonstrations. On Sunday (July 12, 2026) the traditional “Volyn March“ took place in the Polish capital. Nationalist organizations and citizens honored the memory of the victims of the Volhynia massacre of 1943-1945. The event took place under the sign of serious political tension between Poland and Ukraine, which has intensified in recent weeks.
Organization and route of the procession
Main demands of the protesters
The participants in the march and its organizers made several categorical demands to the governments in Warsaw and Kiev:
Exhumation Permit: Immediate resumption of field research and exhumation of the bodies of the fallen Poles on the territory of present-day Ukraine, so that they can be buried with dignity. Full historical truth: Official recognition of the mass killings as genocide without political compromises. Stop the glorification of the UPA: Ending the state honor in Ukraine for figures from the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
The context of the conflict: Why did relations escalate in 2026?
The march is taking place at a time of serious diplomatic rift. Tensions have escalated after Polish President Karol Nawrotski recently stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest state award - the Order of the White Eagle. The reason for this was the official naming of a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in honor of the “Heroes of the UPA“.
Kiev's decision was also met with sharp criticism in the European Parliament. MEPs adopted a resolution in which they emphasized that such acts have an extremely negative impact on Polish-Ukrainian relations.
Official celebrations and Ukraine's position
The day before the march, on July 11 - declared a National Day of Remembrance, official state ceremonies were also held in Poland with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Wladyslaw Kosyniak-Kamysz.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Vasyl Bodnar also honored the memory of the victims. He laid a wreath at Volyn Square in Warsaw and said that Ukraine supports the disclosure of the full historical truth and professional dialogue between historians of the two countries. "We have a complex history, but we share a common future," added Ukrainian Embassy.
What is the Volyn Massacre?
The historical tragedy covers the period 1943-1945 in the Polish territories occupied by Nazi Germany (Volyn region). At that time, UPA fighters, supported by part of the local Ukrainian population, carried out mass purges against the Polish minority. According to Polish historians, about 100,000 Poles died in these events - mostly women, children and the elderly. The culmination was the so-called "Bloody Sunday" on July 11, 1943, when over 150 Polish villages were attacked simultaneously.