[69529] Ukraine returned the ashes of OUN leader Andriy Melnyk and his wife

Ukraine returns past leaders: The ashes of Andriy Melnyk were returned to his homeland

During an event of historical and symbolic significance, the ashes of the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and colonel of the Ukrainian People's Republic army, Andriy Melnyk, and his wife Sofia Fedak-Melnyk, were returned to Ukraine. As reported by Channel 24, this is part of a broader initiative by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to establish a pantheon of national heroes and to return key figures from Ukrainian history who were buried in exile.

The exhumation ceremony took place on May 19 in Luxembourg, where Melnyk lived after World War II until his death in 1964. The OperativnoZSU Telegram channel emphasized that the ceremony included traditional gestures, including the laying of roses and the organization's flag. Upon the arrival of the remains at the Ukrainian border, an official reception was held by representatives of the government, the military, clergy, and volunteers. The 'Novyny.LIVE' agency noted that border guard soldiers carried the urns with the ashes in a moving military ceremony.

The remains will be interred on May 24 at the National Military Memorial Cemetery in Kyiv. As published by the Security Service of Ukraine, the authorities released archival materials from the Soviet era testifying to the prolonged surveillance conducted by the security services (NKVD/KGB) on Melnyk, in order to emphasize his importance as a central figure who fought uncompromisingly for the independence of Ukraine.

Sources identified with the Ukrainian establishment, such as the 'Suspilne' channel and 'Ukrinform', emphasized that the move is perceived as a "restoration of historical justice." President Zelenskyy hinted that this is only the beginning of a process, as authorities are already working on the return of the remains of Yevhen Konovalets and other prominent historical figures buried outside the country's borders.