Western Operational Group (Ukrainian Insurgent Army)

The Western Operational Group of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainian: Оперативна група УПА-Захід, romanized: Operatyvna hrupa UPA-Zakhid), also known as UPA-West (Ukrainian: УПА-Захід, romanized: UPA-Zakhid), was one of the three operational groups of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

UPA-West
УПА-Захід
ActiveDecember 1943 – 1949
AllegianceUkrainian Insurgent Army
Commanders
Notable
commanders

History

UPA-West was established in December 1943 as one of the UPA's three operational groups, alongside UPA-South and UPA-North. A fourth operational group, UPA-East, was planned but never realised.[1]

UPA-West was formed as a successor to the Ukrainian People's Self-Defence (UNS), a unit of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists. It retained the leadership of the UNS (including leader Oleksandr Lutskyi), as well as the right to use the name of the UNS. At lower levels, the transition from the UNS to UPA-West took until March 1944.[2]

UPA-West grew to become one of the largest and most effective groups of the UPA (in particular, the 4th Military District),[1][3] and the operational group was assisted logistically by the OUN, which provided food and weaponry and organised recruitment efforts.[4] However, with the gradual decline of the UPA insurgency, it would be eventually cease to function in 1949,[1] and Vasyl Sydor (UPA-West's commander since 1947) was killed in combat with the NKVD.[5]

Structure

At its founding, the Western Operational Group had six military districts:[2]

  1. 1st Military District, under the command of Viktor Kharkiv, oversaw units in and around the city of Lviv.
  2. 2nd Military District, under the command of Ostap Lynda, oversaw units in Lviv Oblast.
  3. 3rd Military District, under the command of Omelian Polovyi, oversaw units in Ternopil Oblast.
  4. 4th Military District, under the command of Ivan Butkovskyi, oversaw units in Stanislaviv Oblast.
  5. 5th Military District, under the command of Bohdan Vilshynskyi, oversaw units in Drohobych Oblast.
  6. 6th Military District, under the command of Yakiv Chornii, oversaw units in Zakerzonia.

An additional two military districts in Bukovina and Carpathian Ruthenia were planned, but never came to fruition.[1]

References
  1. Sakivskyi, Ihor (14 October 2016). "Українська Повстанська Армія в картинках. ІНФОГРАФІКА" [The Ukrainian Insurgent Army in images: INFOGRAPHICS]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  2. Senytskyi, Viktor. "Переформування Української народної самооборони в УПА-Захід (грудень 1943 – березень 1944 року)" [Reformation of the Ukrainian People's Self-Defence into UPA-West (December 1943 – February 1944)]. Prison on Łącki Street (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  3. Sodol, Petro. "Hoverlia (4th) Group of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army". Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  4. Myzak, Nestor (2012). УПА – "Захід" у фотографіях [UIA-«West» in Pictures: For You, Holy Ukraine] (PDF). За тебе, свята Україно (in Ukrainian). Vol. 8. Chernivtsi: Chernivtsi University. ISBN 978-966-423-243-9.
  5. "Розсекречені документи командира УПА-Захід тепер доступні онлайн" [Declassified documents of UPA-West commander now available online]. Zbruč (in Ukrainian). 26 February 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
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