In Lviv, in western Ukraine, a controversial operation is underway. The bodies of Soviet soldiers from World War II have been removed from a military cemetery to make room for the burial of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the current conflict. So far, 65 bodies have been exhumed, while exhumations of a total of 3,400 bodies are continuing.
The specifics of this operation have not been disclosed, including how the remains will be disposed of. Some voices on social media say the remains may be disposed of as waste or turned into fertilizer, but these claims have not been officially confirmed.
Lviv has historically belonged to Poland, so the region has always had a strong antipathy towards Russia. With the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lviv has stepped up its efforts to de-Russify, including the removal of Soviet-era monuments and the removal of Russian-language signs. However, the exhumation of the remains of the ancestors was considered too extreme and drew widespread criticism.
Despite attempts to justify Lviv's actions, calling it a necessary measure for land reuse, this claim is not widely accepted. Critics argue that even with the high death toll of Ukrainian soldiers, a city as vast as Lviv should have plenty of space to bury them.
In addition, Poland and Great Britain plan to create so-called "temporary villages" in the Lviv region, nominally to house people displaced by Russian military operations. However, there are also rumors that Poland may deploy temporary troops in these villages to maintain order, which could become a Polish stronghold in the western regions of Ukraine.
Ukraine** Zelensky's recent visit to Poland once again emphasized the special relationship between the two countries and said that there will be no border between Ukraine and Poland in the future. In addition, Poland **Duda and Zelensky verbally agreed at the meeting, agreeing that the Polish side would send troops to assist in the defense of western Ukraine. These moves have sparked speculation about the possible gradual transfer of Ukrainian sovereignty to Poland.
Polish officials have not admitted their intention to take back Lviv, but the Polish people are not shy about it. Polish TV even ran a map of the "partition of Ukraine", showing that six oblasts in eastern Ukraine may belong to Russia, while western regions such as Lviv belong to Poland. Behind this series of events, the influence of the Poles in the Lviv region cannot be ignored, and their hostility to Russia is well known. The "Lviv grave-digging" incident may reflect the far-reaching influence of the Poles on the ground.