The commander of the Home Army AK „Bomba” partisan unit, Lieutenant Władysław Kochański, along with his staff, was invited to another binge (on „czaj”) to the Soviet partisan group of General Mikhail Naumov in the neighboring district of Zawołocze, where the Soviets were quartered. There were 5 officers, 13 non–commissioned officers and 2 privates. Before midnight, about 30 Soviet partisans from the „Naumowa” grouping under the command of „Bohun” broke into Peresiek (next to Stara Huta), where a staff of Polish partisans was stationed. Relying on the order of Kochański „Bomba – Uncle” they wanted to take the remaining officers and non–commissioned officers with them. Having learned that they had gone out into the field, the Soviets left, still trying to murder the Polish guard. Only after 1989, the truth about the crimes of the Soviet partisans was revealed. In Zawołocz, they killed 5 Polish partisans. The others, tied with ropes and tightly covered, were transported by sleighs all day and night in an unknown direction. Lucjan Paczewski „Staszek” left a manuscript account of this kidnapping. On December 23, in the morning, they had a stop. „after some time, we were taken in pairs and led under the automatic machines to the meadow towards the forest at intervals of 20 minutes  […] I prayed fervently to the Mother of God, hearing single shots fired in the forest. I saw several Russians walking in this direction with shovels”. After the interrogation, Paczewski was not murdered, and neither was his friend Witkowski. „To this day, I do not know what saved us from the death of” – he confessed in his report. Six Polish partisans were murdered at the edge of the forest, while the 7th with „Bomb – Uncle” and priest Leon Śpiewak, the Soviets continued. „In the evening we ate dinner on the floor. Father Śpiewak reminded us that today is Christmas Eve and offered to share the wafer. «Uncle» made a wafer from the crust of bread, and the priest blessed the crust and we shared it like a wafer. We stayed for a few days in this village”. after being imprisoned in Kiev, they were later sent to Lubyanka, where their trial took place. „Wujek” was sentenced to 25 years, he returned to Poland from the copper mine in Kolyma in 1956. The command over the partisan unit of the Home Army AK „Bomba” was taken by 2nd Lt. Feliks Szczepaniak „Słucki”. Fearing that the Soviets would endeavor to finally liquidate the Polish unit, he left the area of Stara Huta. „In the morning we came to the abandoned buildings of the Polish colony Folwark – Osty. In this way, on Christmas Eve we found ourselves again 10 km from Sarny. We were all very tired  […] after the occupied huts had been relatively tidied up and a short nap, we started getting ready for the celebration of Christmas Eve. We had no wafers, but there was still some dry bread left. Second Lieutenant «Slucki» took a slice of bread, walked around the huts from platoon to platoon and shared with us like a wafer. Some people wept as they wished each other wishes. after all, we have experienced so many tragedies in the past year  […] Then we sat down by the burning stove and started singing Christmas carols, which we all knew a lot. We felt somewhat serene then. After midnight I went with my school friend Stefan Zieliński to watch the guard and this is how Christmas began for us”.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „75th anniversary of the genocide – December 1943”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: Piotrowski Czesław, „Through Volhynia and Polesie in Podlasie”, in: Warsaw 1998, p. 86—87

The unit makes its way through the territories controlled by the Banderites. After three sleepless nights, avoiding dozens of burned Polish villages, he reaches Zofiówka at noon on December 30 and establishes contact with Przebraż.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „75th anniversary of the genocide – December 1943”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]