Ukrainian President Attends Reburial of Nationalist Leader Who Collaborated With Nazi Germany

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the reburial of Andriy Melnyk and his wife at the National Military Cemetery near Kyiv on May 25, 2026. The event included former president Viktor Yushchenko, presidential administration head Kyrylo Budanov, and parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.

Melnyk led a faction of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists after its split from Stepan Bandera. The group collaborated with Nazi Germany during its campaign for independence from the Soviet Union and participated in the Holocaust. Melnyk was briefly held at Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 1944 when Ukrainian goals diverged from German objectives.

Zelensky described Melnyk as a "great Ukrainian figure" during the ceremony. The reburial of the remains, which had been held in Luxembourg since Melnyk's death in 1964, drew attendance from nationalist circles and senior officials. Melnyk remained largely outside official Ukrainian historical narratives for decades after his death.

His elevation through the state ceremony reflects a broader focus on figures tied to anti-Soviet resistance since the February 2022 invasion.