Speaking on TVN24, Bodnar explained that while the exact timing of the exhumations remains uncertain, it will depend on weather conditions.
"We are preparing to begin as soon as the weather allows, with all necessary permits in place and the Polish team ready," he said.
The ambassador added that efforts are underway to determine other exhumation sites in both Ukraine and Poland.
A licensed Ukrainian company will carry out the work in accordance with Ukrainian law, in collaboration with a Polish partner institution.
The Ukrainian side will contribute partially to the funding of exhumations on Ukrainian soil, while most of the financial support will come from Poland, Bodnar clarified.
The exhumation process, which had been stalled since 2017 due to a moratorium, was revived in November 2024, when Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha announced the decision to lift the ban.
At that time, Ukraine confirmed there were no obstacles for Polish institutions to carry out search and exhumation work on Ukrainian territory, in cooperation with relevant Ukrainian bodies.
On January 10, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the decision to begin the exhumations, expressing gratitude to the cultural ministers of both countries for their cooperation.
Ukrainian deputy culture minister Andriy Nadzhos also announced that both nations had exchanged lists of sites for exhumation related to their historical conflicts.
The Volhynia Massacre refers to a series of tragic events during World War II when tens of thousands of Polish civilians were killed by Ukrainian nationalists in the regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.
Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) reports that, based on historical research, more than 120,000 Poles were killed by Ukrainian nationalists between 1939 and 1947, classifying these actions as genocide.
This historical wound has long strained relations between Poland and Ukraine.
(ał)
Source: PAP