▁On ▁the ▁following ▁day , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁counter - att ack ed , ▁precip it ating ▁a ▁three - day - long ▁battle ▁for ▁the ▁area . ▁Event ually ▁vict orious , ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 6 ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁entered ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Prz ysz ow ice , ▁the ▁last ▁Polish ▁village ▁before ▁the ▁Polish - G erman ▁border . ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁following ▁two ▁days , ▁a ▁mass acre ▁of ▁local ▁inhabitants ▁en su ed . ▁The ▁Soviet ▁soldiers ▁set ▁several ▁dozen ▁houses ▁on ▁fire ▁and ▁began ▁shooting ▁at ▁the ▁civ ili ans ▁trying ▁to ▁ex ting u ish ▁the ▁fl ames . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁over ▁ 6 0 ▁civ ili ans ▁lost ▁their ▁lives , ▁Polish ▁newsp apers ▁gave ▁the ▁high - end ▁number ▁of ▁ 6 9 . ▁Men , ▁women ▁and ▁children ▁aged ▁between ▁ 1 0 ▁days ▁and ▁ 7 8 ▁years ▁were ▁killed , ▁although ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁vict ims ▁were ▁adult ▁males . ▁Among ▁the ▁vict ims ▁were ▁four ▁former ▁prisoners ▁of ▁the ▁Aus ch witz ▁concentration ▁camp ▁who ▁had ▁escaped ▁from ▁a ▁death ▁march ▁the ▁previous ▁day . ▁Ex cept ▁for ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁escape es ▁who ▁were ▁Italian ▁and ▁Hung arian , ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁vict ims ▁were ▁Polish ▁civ ili ans ▁– ▁including ▁two ▁former ▁soldiers ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁Army , ▁who ▁had ▁recently ▁been ▁fre ed ▁by ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁from ▁a ▁prisoner ▁of ▁war ▁camp . ▁According ▁to ▁Polish ▁media , ▁in ▁addition ▁to