Defense of Huta Stepańska and Wyrka

The Defense of Huta Stepańska and Wyrka (Polish: Obrona Huty Stepańskiej i Wyrki, Ukrainian: Оборона Гути Степанської і Вирки; 16–19 July 1943) was fought between the 1st Operational Group “Zahrava” in the Northern Operational Group and 6th Operational Group “Syan” in the Western Operational Group of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Kusch Units of the Ukrainian Self–Defense under the command of Ivan Lytvynchuk, Dmytro Voytseshko, Vasyl Pavlonyuk, Dmytro Korinets, Dmytro Kalynyuk, and Makar Melnyk against the Polish Self–Defense, Home Army and Soviet partisans under the command of Jan Szabelski, Władysław Kochański and Józef Sobiesiak in the outskirts of the villages of Huta Stepańska and Wyrka in the Kostopol County of the Wołyń Voivodeship. The tasks of the Northern Operational Group and Western Operational Group were eliminating and destroying the strongholds of the armed formations of the Polish Self–Defense in the villages of Huta Stepańska, Wyrka, Borek, Lady, Omelianki, Romaszkowe, Ciemne, Łomy, Mielniki, Huta Mydzka, Podselecze, Poliali, Hołyń, Kamenianka, Mielnicy, Hały, Wyróbki, Ostrówki, Osówicze, Szymonisko, Tur, Użane, Iwancze, Perespa, Berezówka, Kamenia, Siedliska and Żywka, from which Polish punitive attacks on the Ukrainian civilian population were carried out.