Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a decree naming the Special Operations Center “North” after the “Heroes of the UPA,” citing the restoration of national military traditions and exemplary service.
The Official Designation
In a decree issued on Wednesday, the Ukrainian head of state announced that the Special Operations Center “North” of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will now bear the name “Heroes of the UPA.” The president explained the decision was made to restore the historical traditions of the national army and in recognition of the unit’s exemplary performance in defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.
Historical Controversy and Tensions with Poland
The glorification of the UPA triggers intense emotions in Poland due to the ethnic cleansing conducted by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army between 1943 and 1946. During this period, approximately 80,000 to 100,000 Poles were murdered, often in brutal circumstances, while retaliatory actions resulted in the deaths of approximately 20,000 Ukrainians.
Divergent Interpretations of the OUN and UPA
The Volhynia massacre was planned by the leadership of the OUN-B, a faction of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists led by Stepan Bandera, with the UPA serving as its armed wing. Poland officially classifies these events as genocide, a position formalised by resolutions in the Polish Sejm.
Conversely, the Ukrainian perspective often frames the events as part of a wider ethnic conflict rooted in pre-war tensions and pacification campaigns. Furthermore, many in Ukraine emphasize the OUN and UPA’s role as anti-Soviet organizations that fought against the USSR starting in 1944.
International Reaction to OUN Commemorations
Ukrainian authorities recently repatriated the remains of Andriy Melnyk, leader of the OUN-M faction, who had been in conflict with Bandera and opposed the ethnic cleansing of Poles. However, the Israeli institute Yad Vashem stated that the reburial raises serious concerns, noting that commemorating a leader of a formation that collaborated with Nazi Germany undermines the memory of Holocaust victims.
