Ukrainian President Grants Posthumous Honour to Anti-Soviet Guerrilla Leader

Text of report by Interfax-Ukraine news agency

Kiev, 14 October: President Viktor Yushchenko has signed a decree granting the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously to Roman Shukhevych, the commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army [UPA, an anti-Soviet guerrrilla movement] from 1942 to 1950.

The president signed the decree on Friday [12 October], the president’s press service reported on Sunday.

The title was awarded for his prominent personal contribution to the national-liberation struggle for the freedom and independence of Ukraine, in honour of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 65th anniversary of the formation of the UPA.

Roman Shukhevych (also known as Taras Chuprynka) led the UPA from 1943 to 1950. He was killed on 5 March 1950. The 100th anniversary of his birth fell on 30 June 2007.

Originally published by Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1523 14 Oct 07.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.