The work began on 25 August 2026 and was carried out with Ukrainian partner Ukrainska Pamiat ("Ukrainian Memory"), with support from a representative of Wrocław Medical University, the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and the Polish Consulate General in Lviv.
Workers uncovered an area of about 260 square metres and found three rows of graves near an existing memorial.
Around 2,900 objects were found and secured, including military buttons, helmets, bayonets, personal belongings and religious items.
The IPN said the number of remains recovered and the way they had been buried were consistent with earlier historical research and witness accounts.
The remains of 18 German soldiers were also found. They were recovered by Ukrainska Pamiat and handed over to Volksbund, the German organisation responsible for locating and burying the remains of German soldiers.
The IPN is searching for relatives of the Polish soldiers so that the remains can potentially be identified using DNA testing.
The final stage will be the burial of the recovered Polish soldiers' remains, the IPN said.
In September 1939, battles between the German Wehrmacht and Polish Army took place around Lviv, including in Hołosko Wielkie. Fallen Polish soldiers were buried in a mass grave at the local cemetery.
(sp)
Source: PAP