Activities of the Ukrainian Underground (Resistance), 1944 - 1950 ©

The following selected CIA chronology is taken from an undated, declassified, internal document (presumably 1951):

The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainian: Українська повстанська армія, UPA) was created in 1942-1943 for the purpose of fighting the Nazis and for the protection of the Ukrainian population. It is the military force of the underground government of the Ukrainian Supreme Council of Liberation (UHVR). The UPA represents the only important resistance group operating in the Ukrainian SSR.

The activities of the Ukrainian underground were and are conducted in practically all phases of life. Because of the topography and character of the western areas of Ukraine, these activities were and are more intense and systematic in Western Ukraine (the Mountains, VOLHYN - in general, west of the DNIEPER River) than in other areas. In the beginning, these activities were conducted by all possible means and methods, from armed frontal attacks by the UPA, to disruptive penetration and infiltration of the Communist Party and the Red Army.

Among the victims of the URA ambushes are some outstanding Soviet leaders:

1944 - the UPA ambushed and mortally wounded Soviet Marshall VATUTIN.

March 1947 - UPA. men attacked and killed Lt. General Karol SWIERCZEWSKI, Vice Minister of Defense of Poland (the "General. Walter" of the Spanish Civil War)

1948 - The UPA killed Lt. General MOSKOLENKO, a high-ranking MVD officer. The representatives of the UHVR claim that 35,000 officers and non-commissioned officers of the MVD and MGB have fallen at the hands of the UPA during the period 1945 to January 1951.

1945, 46, 47, 48 - In the STANISLAV Oblast, partisan groups existed in large numbers. (Airing 1945, 46, 47, and 48, many Ukrainians were arrested by the MVD. A state farm in STANISLAV region was attacked by a number of partisan troops in the Summer of 1947. All the buildings were burned, as well as all supplies that could not be carried away. Other attacks are mentioned in the report.

1945 -47 - Partisan activity in the CARPATHIAN region. Source mentions attacks on Soviet Communist Party officials at State Farms in the STRYJ area and the CZERNOWITZ oblast, and states that the movement was strongest in areas of LVOV, STANISLAV, DROHOBYCH, PRZEMYSL, and TERNOPOL.

1946-47 - frequent attacks by partisans upon State property were carried out in STANISLAV Oblast, Western Ukraine

1947-48 - an UPA unit composed of three companies battles with Soviet forces for control of LEMKIVTSI area. Also UPA. skirmishes with Soviet forces in various localities in the Western oblasts.

1948 November - an MVD dragnet in NIKOLAYEV (4658N-3200E); uncovered a partisan headquarters. With the exception of a few anti-Soviet leaflets and a printing press, the entire headquarters was evacuated in time. 

1948- small but numerous anti-Communist partisan bands have been operating along the Polish-USSR border, approximately 30 miles west of LVOV. These bands actively engaged in armed encounters with Soviet Security Forces. 

1949 - on 30 December 1949, the MOB Minister of State Security of the Ukrainian SSR, It. Gen. M. KOVALCHUK issued a proclamation to all resistance members to return peacefully to their normal occupation under the promise of a general amnesty.:

ORDER OF THE MINISTER OF STATE SECURITY OF THE UKRAINIAN SSE

Regarding the Release from Criminal Responsibility of all Members of the Remnants of the Defeated Ukrainian Nationalist Bands in the Western Oblasts of the Ukraine SSR who voluntarily appear before the Organs of the Soviet Government for the Purpose of Unconditional Surrender. No. 312,  30 December 1949, City of Kiev

In the Spring of 1950, when it was seen that this appeal had failed to make any impression, strong large-scale repressive measures were undertaken throughout Ukraine. In some areas, detachments of 1,000 to 5,000 MGB troops were used in individual operations to clean up the district. In one district, this sweep lasted about ten days. In others, they were repeated several times within a period of weeks.

Excerpts from a declassified April 1953 CIA Internal Report entitled “Ukrainian Resistance”

 

The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was created in 1942-1943 for the purpose of fighting the Nazis and for the protection of the Ukrainian population. It is the military force of the underground government of the Ukrainian Supreme Council of Liberation (UHVR). The UPA represents the only important resistance group operating at present in the Ukrainian SSR. 

 

The numerical strength of the Ukrainian Underground Resistance Movement today is considerably reduced from what it was at the close of World War II, when it numbered in the tens of thousands and even, according to some figures, 100,000 active armed members.

A fair estimate of the number of illegal-living armed partisans within the Western Oblasts of Ukraine is 1,000 men, and it is certain that many more live legally and maintain some sort of contact with the illegal-living underground units. 

 

It is anticipated that by Fall of 1953, the CIA will have been able to establish the basis of its future relationship with the Ukrainian underground. 

 

Ukrainian Resistance Forces Killed in Action:

 

“The following is a compilation of known insurgents killed in Ukraine between 1944 and 1950. These figures are not complete, but will give some indication of the amount of underground activity which took place during this period:

 

Area                                        1944    1945    1946    1947    1948    1949    1950

 

Kozlovski Raion                       26         7          3         13         4                  

Mikulinetski                             28       34          8         11          8                  

Veliko-Borkovski Raion           22       37         21        8           8                  

Veliko-Glubochetsk Raion       43       40         37        14        16                  

Zalozhtsevski Raion                 40       72         34        9          23

Zborovski Raion                       34       105       13        7           5              

Bukachevski Raion                                                                                5         3

Burshtyanksi Rion                                                                                 2         1                               

Peremyshlyani Raion                                                                             8         2

Bogatinski Raion                                                                                  10        6

Vilaivski Raion                                                                                       8        1

 

“Armed clashes with Soviet Security Forces took place in the following areas. In each case an average of five UPA partisans were involved: Drohobych Raion, Pidbuzh Raion, Samborski Raion, Turka Raion, Strilkiv Raion, Rozhnitiv Raion, Wygoda Raion.”

Code Name Jackal: Action Plan Against Noel Bernard and Radio Free Europe ©

 

Wrath of the Chief Architect: Ceausescu‘s War against RFE and Romanian Émigrés

IICCR International Conference

"Ways to Consider Communism"

Bucharest, Romania

15 November 2007

(Excerpt)

Code Name Jackal: Action Plan Against Noel Bernard 

 

For 16 years, Noel Bernard was one of the most respected Directors of RFE/RL’s Romanian Broadcast Service. He died of cancer on 13 December 1981, and his death was considered suspicious. In the summer of 2007, the Romanian External Intelligence Service (SIE) released a copy of a ten-page report that gave prima facie evidence that Romanian agents murdered Noel Bernard. Below are summary highlights and analysis from an 18 August 1980 Securitate Action plan against Noel Bernard (Code Name Jackal) and Radio Free Europe (RFE) that were included in the released report: 

 

Ministry of Internal Affairs Strictly Secret Department of State Security, (DSS) Copy Nr. 1 U.M. 0544,
Nr. 225/f.9/0025323, dated 18.08.1980

Approved Measure Plan in the case of Noel Bernard, Codename Jackal

Bearing in mind the dangerousness of the activity carried on by the “Jackal” against our country, it becomes imperative and urgent to take more qualified and energetic security measures to 

 

·      Applying special measures to paralyze the activity of the RFE objective and neutralize some employees by damaging and destroying buildings and facilities of the radio, homes, and personal means of transportation, as well as by producing physical harm to the most active employees and contributors of RFE.

·      In addition to the present plan, we'll take steps to prepare radical measures against the Jackal. By March 30, 1981, we'll table the radical measures we will implement in the case of the Jackal.

·      Identifying and studying the location of the homes of some employees and the possibilities to penetrate them in order to place their containers and parcels with explosives.

·      Identifying the places where RFE employees park their cars or have them fixed in order to place explosives or to operate technical changes on their cars able to cause serious accidents.

·      To recruit Marcu, a friend and physician of the Jackal's family, so as to obtain compromising data on the Jackal and his wife, and to prepare for applying radical measures against the Jackal.

 

The document mentions the informer Kraus, a journalist and friend of the Jackal,. according to the document, 

 

·      Kraus (identified as Ivan Denes) will suggest to the Jackal that the anonymous letters against him have been typed on the typewriter of Pfeiller Adelheid, the mistress of Emil Georgescu.

·      An employee of the radio, named Vlaicu in the document, known as an enemy of the Jackal, should be recruited and used to compromise the Jackal and foment the animosity between Romanians and Jews within the Romanian BD.

 

A former informer named Manole, employed by RFE as a technician, was planned to be reactivated and used for "special measures". Also mentioned are Filip and Florica, a couple from Germany with "direct links" to the American management of RFE. These informers should be reactivated and used to discredit the Jackal and his wife as having ties to both the Soviet intelligence service and the Romanian Securitate. 

 

Also, two agents from West Germany codenamed 'Helmut' and 'Martin' were summoned to Bucharest for a special training session, attended by the leadership of CIE (according to the file). 'Helmut' was the most active agent in Emil Georgescu’s case. He even arranged the beating of Georgescu for DM 10,000. His report about that incident is included in the file.'

 

Martin' was, however, more important because he had a prominent position in the leadership of the Saxon community in West Germany, with access to the German government officials. He was instructed to spread the rumor about the Bernards' alleged affiliation with Russian and Romanian secret services. In a "Staged Report" the officers boasted about Martin’s supposed successes:

 

·      Prepare collaborator Danciu, an electronic engineer from within the country, in order to send him permanently outside and infiltrate him at RFE with the mission of causing damage to and destruction of RFE’s installations and buildings;

·      Reactivation of informant Barta Geza of West Germany, auto mechanic, who is being used by some RFE employees to repair their cars, to cause damage to their cars.?

·      Through sources Riva, Protopopescu, Kraus, Barta Geza , and others, we shall study the buildings and installations of the Free Europe radio station, the guard and security system, vulnerable points, etc., to find ways and concrete solutions for the use of adequate means with a view to damaging and destroying the buildings and installations of the Free Europe radio station, by planting explosives, causing fires etc

·      In order to give credibility to our version, we will train Ilie Ciurescu to get in touch with the Jackol‘s wife in a foreign country. (Ciurescu was a popular TV announcer, Ioana’s former colleague and friend, and a known Securitate agent.

 

According to the file, the purpose was to accredit the idea that he is supposedly the liaison between her and the Romanian security organs. The officers preferred the meeting between the two be held in a hotel in order to make it possible for those interested to verify afterward that the encounter had indeed taken place.

 

Even more incriminating documents are telegrams from Germany to Bucharest regarding Noel Bernard. For example, on 22 October 1980,:

Concerning the compromising and liquidation of N. Bernard we are attaching:

Hans Bergel, known to the studio, is interested in learning details about the way N. Bernard intends to obtain German citizenship for Aurora Magura, his mother-in-law since she is Romanian and has nothing in common with German origin. We are in possession of a photocopy of the decision by the Bavarian Authorities rejecting A. Magura's appeal. Through the means available to us, steps have been taken in order to perform the action documented by the Chief Architect. The file follows.

 

Another one is a telegram dated 1 March 1981, after Noel Bernard’s cancer became public knowledge: 

 

Noel Bernard convalescent (attached is the article translated from German). Comrade Colonel Bogdan,

The data published by B.I.R.E. confirms that the measures we took started to show effects. We should intensify measures to compromise Emil Georgescu and Ioana Magura, intimidate them, and remove them from the radio.

 

In the summer of 1992, my office arranged for a check of the Romanian Service Director’s inner and outer offices at RFE/R, plus Noel Bernard's apartment and automobile. No traces of radiation were found.