On the night of December 16–17, 1946, near the village of Yastrubychi (now in Radekhiv District, Lviv region), Soviet MGB troops surrounded a bunker that housed senior UPA members. Among them was UPA Major Vasyl Levkovych, known by the pseudonym “Voronyi” — commander of the UPA Military District “Bug” and a recipient of the UPA Golden Cross of Combat Merit, 2nd class.
Others in the bunker included:
- Yakiv Prytulka (“Buryi”) — UPA district leader for Sokal region
- Pylyp Tsar (“Levych”) — Prytulka’s bodyguard
Realizing escape was nearly impossible, they began burning sensitive documents, filling the bunker with smoke. Prytulka and Tsar resisted with gunfire. Levkovych was ordered to escape through a side exit but lost consciousness while trying. He was captured alive and taken to prison.
The others died:
- Tsar shot himself,
- Prytulka detonated a grenade.
Imprisonment, Exile, and Family
After over a year of investigation, Levkovych was sentenced to 25 years in labor camps. In Vorkuta, he met his future wife Yaroslava, who was also serving a 10-year sentence for supporting the UPA. They married in exile and later had two children: a son, Roman, and a daughter, Dariia. Yaroslava was released earlier.
Return, Recognition, and Later Life
Upon release, Levkovych refused to accept a Soviet passport, demanding recognition as a prisoner of war rather than a criminal. Without official documents or a work record, he had to labor in mines until the age of 72.
He had been awarded the UPA Golden Cross of Combat Merit (2nd class) in February 1946, but due to secrecy, he only received the medal in March 2008 during a session of the Lviv Regional Council. Only 72 individuals received this honor throughout history — 40 of the 1st class and 32 of the 2nd — most remaining unnamed to preserve UPA secrecy.
Although he survived the siege, Levkovych was mistakenly declared dead and posthumously promoted to colonel in December 1946 — making him the last known UPA colonel.
Memories of a Patriot
Despite his hard life, Levkovych was a modest man who valued honesty and discipline. He loved Ukrainian dumplings but never overindulged, having lived much of his life in hunger.
Vasyl Levkovych passed away on December 13, 2012, at the age of 92. He was buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, with the Ukrainian national anthem playing during the burial.