From ATO to War. Poles and representatives of the Polish minority in Ukraine, in the fighting in eastern Ukraine

Abstract

The article describes the process of involvement of Poles and Ukrainian citizens of Polish origin, in the direct hostilities taking place in Ukraine since 2014. The subject of analysis was the fate of soldiers and volunteers and members of paramilitary formations fighting against separatists and Russia. In order to conduct the research, materials available in the Polish-language media and existing literature on the subject were used. It was conducted using research methods characteristic of press studies, history and political science. The article presents the results of the research and proves that the Polish contribution to the struggle after just a few months of regular war was greater than during the eight-year "creeping" conflict. At the same time, it was concluded that, due to the military operations that are still ongoing, it is not possible to determine the precise dimension of the Polish contribution and that final determinations in this regard will be possible only after the end of the war.