the organization fought against the Germans. From late spring 1944, the UPA and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists-B (OUN-B)—faced with Soviet advances—cooperated with German forces against the Soviets and Poles in the hope of creating an independent Ukrainian state. The OUN played a substantial role in the ethnic cleansing of the Polish population of Volhynia and eastern Galicia, and tried to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Ukrainians from western Galicia. After the end of World War II, Soviet NKVD units fought against the UPA. The UPA remained active and fought against the People's Republic of Poland until 1947, and against the Soviet Union until 1949. UPA was active throughout the territory of Ukraine with subsections named after the regions they were active in. In Western Ukraine UPA unit was called UPA West; in the centre-southern regions of Podolia, parts of Kyiv region, parts of Zhytomyr region and Odesa - UPA South; in the northern regions of Volhynia, Rivne, parts of Kyiv region, parts of Zhytomyr region UPA North was active; in eastern Ukraine UPA fled north, as Stalinist dictatorship has executed a number of UPA's participants. The members of UPA east joined other UPA units in Dnipro and in Chernihiv region. The UPA was a decentralised movement widespread throughout Ukraine with each regions following somewhat different agenda given the circumstances of constant moving front line and a double thread of the Soviet and Nazi powers. The UPA was formally disbanded in early September 1949. However, some of its units continued operations until 1956. In March 2019, surviving UPA members were officially granted the status of veterans by the government of Ukraine. Another separate, independent UPA also existed in Volhynia from 1941 until July 1943. It was formed in late November 1941, and from the spring of 1942 was a very active Ukrainian nationalist armed group before the formal formation of the UPA in the spring of 1943. This group belonged to the political opponents of the OUN(B) – OUN(UNR), and allied itself politically with OUN(M). Led by Taras Bulba-Borovets, it had links to the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) in exile. It was renamed the Ukrainian People's Revolutionary Army in July 1943 before being later partially and forcibly absorbed into the UPA of the OUN(B).--> Organization The UPA's command structure overlapped with that of the underground nationalist political party, the OUN, in a sophisticated centralized network. The UPA was responsible for military