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Poland to seek truth about Volhynia tragedy from Ukraine — President

"It was a dramatic event, which took lives of over 100,000 people," Andrzej Duda said

WARSAW, July 11. /TASS/. Polish authorities will seek to have Ukraine acknowledge the truth about the crimes of the OUN-UPA (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Insurgent Army, outlawed in Russia), and create an option for Polish citizens to pray on the graves of the fallen compatriots, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Monday, speaking on the Day of Remembrance of victims of the genocide, carried out by Ukrainian nationalists against the Poles 79 years ago.

"What do we want? We want truth. We want the graves. We want to pray on the graves of our relatives and close ones," the Polish leader noted.

"It is always a difficult time for us Poles," he said, noting that a crime was carried out in the eastern part of occupied Poland, which could be called a genocide, and ethnic cleansing, aimed to clear those lands of Polish minority. "It was a dramatic event, which took lives of over 100,000 people."

According to Duda, "a trail remains."

"It is a difficult topic. It is painful for us, demanding a firm statement of truth; and it is complicated for the Ukrainians, because they feel deep shame. How is that? To acknowledge that they murdered people," Duda noted. "The truth must be spoken."

"We must not seek truth by waving our fists. We must achieve it by calm actions. I believe that it would be possible. There is a favorable atmosphere for that on the other side," the Polish leader said.

During World War II, in February 1943, Ukrainian nationalists embarked on an action on extermination of the Polish population of Volhynia (Volyn). Their operations reached climax on July 11, 1943, when OUN-UPA squads attacked about 100 Polish settlements, killing mostly women, children and seniors. These events are now known as the Volhynia Massacre or Volyn Tragedy.