Wierzchowiny massacre

Pazderski's report about the pacification of the village was prepared by the communist secret police in Lublin, led by the Red Army Poruchik Wincenty Wojciusz. The report was never confirmed nor disproved as falsification (fałszywka) in the course of postcommunist investigations by the IPN.[1] The partisans fought the communist reinforcements on the road from Chełm. On the night following the massacre the Soviet 98 Regiment of the 64 Division of NKVD secret service commanded by Captain Bielik came into the village. The photographs were taken. The corpses were left unburied until the Ukrainians emerged from the forest, burned down the Polish school, and forced the Polish families to dig graves for the victims. At night, all local Poles escaped to neighbouring villages. On 15 June the communists brought in an investigative unit and spoke with the Ukrainians who presented their own version of events although many were away in hiding, some of them, like Mrs. Oleszczuk and others, rescued by their Polish neighbours.[1]

According to Polish historian Mariusz Zajączkowski, the massacre might have been planned by NSZ as part of a wider, "well-planned" anti-Ukrainian action, which backfired on the organization, as it was shortly after used by the anti-NSZ communist authorities to reinforce their propaganda in their fight with the anti-communist partisans.