Field search operations are currently underway in Orsha. In total, in 2026, excavations are planned in 12 districts across six regions, including Mogilev, as part of the investigation into the criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War and the post-war period — as noted by Sergei Kornev, the Head of the Department for Perpetuating the Memory of the Fatherland Defenders and War Victims of the Armed Forces of Belarus, sb.by reports
For six years, members of the 52nd Separate Specialised Search Battalion of the Armed Forces of Belarus have been carrying out a state assignment as part of an investigation initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus into the genocide of the Belarusian population during the Great Patriotic War and the post-war period. Under the supervision of prosecution officials, these military search teams are undertaking the challenging task of recovering the remains of genocide victims from execution sites.
“Between 2021 and 2025, excavations related to the genocide of the Belarusian people were conducted at 132 search sites across six regions, including Brest, Gomel, Minsk, and Mogilev. Over eight thousand victims’ remains were uncovered during these operations. Work will continue into 2026, with a current focus on a site in Orsha. Overall, excavations connected to the investigation of the genocide during the Great Patriotic War and post-war period are planned at 14 search sites across 12 districts in six regions, as well as in Mogilev,” Mr. Kornev explained.
