20th-century military leader Yevhen Konovalets reburied in Kyiv

On August 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the reburial of 20th-century military leader Yevhen Konovalets at the National Military Memorial Cemetery in Kyiv. The President lauded Konovalets as an "outstanding son of the Ukrainian people," emphasizing that his legacy embodies the memory, Ukrainian experience, and national history of those who fought for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty throughout history.

Konovalets, who founded the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) in 1929, devoted his life to Ukraine's independence. After the country's division between the Soviet Union and Poland following its defeat in the 1917–1921 War of Independence, the OUN was established to unite Ukrainians into an organized independence movement and seek foreign support for Ukraine's cause, warning of Moscow's expansionist threat to international security.

Tragically, Konovalets was assassinated in Rotterdam in 1938 by an undercover Soviet agent posing as a gift of chocolates with a bomb. His remains were repatriated to Ukraine on August 13, where he was posthumously honored with state and military accolades. The exhumation ceremony for Konovalets in Rotterdam took place on August 11, attended by government officials, members of the Ukrainian diaspora, and clergy from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Zelensky's speech on August 18 further highlighted that Ukraine remains committed to returning its heroes buried abroad, as the nation strives to establish a National Pantheon to honor its heroes, both past and present. However, officials involved with the project told the Kyiv Independent that there is no official list yet of the figures to be included, only a protocol for decision-making once the bill becomes law.