The struggle of OUN – UPA against the soviet regime in the Khmelnytskyi region in the early 1950s

The purpose of the article is to reveal, based on the analysis of unpublished and published sources and historiography, the process of the OUN – UPA's struggle against the Soviet regime in the Khmelnytskyi region in the early 1950s. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity. The use of methods such as analysis, synthesis, as well as systematic, descriptive, statistical, and comparative approaches allowed for the achievement of the set goal. The scientific novelty lies in the inclusion of new archival documents into scholarly circulation and the attempt at a comprehensive analysis of the OUN – UPA's struggle against the Soviet regime in Khmelnytskyi region in the early 1950s. Conclusions: The early 1950s marked a new phase in the struggle of OUN – UPA against the Soviet regime in the Khmelnytskyi region. Unfortunately, this period was unfavorable for the representatives of the Ukrainian national liberation movement. Despite the adverse conditions and the power imbalance, the OUN underground and UPA units did not surrender. They found support among the youth, which gave hope for the continuation of the struggle. The most active were the Kamianets-Podilskyi and Dunayevetskyi supra-districts of the OUN. The region continued to serve as the main connecting link between the West and East of Ukraine, a sort of transit hub for some time. Understanding the limited prospects of armed resistance, the OUN underground shifted focus towards raising the national consciousness of the local population and discrediting the Soviet authorities. As a result, Soviet intelligence services exerted significant efforts to neutralize and destroy the OUN underground and UPA units, with an emphasis on eliminating their leadership. By 1953, resistance by OUN – UPA against Soviet power in the Khmelnytskyi region had ceased, though the memory of it endures to this day.