8 . ▁Another ▁dec im ated ▁group ▁of ▁Pol es ▁was ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁cler gy , ▁who ▁opposed ▁the ▁forced ▁at he ization . ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁Pol es ▁fled ▁to ▁Poland ▁during ▁this ▁time , ▁among ▁them ▁Ig or ▁Ne wer ly ▁and ▁T ade usz ▁Bor owski . ▁▁ 1 9 3 9 – 1 9 4 7 ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁after ▁the ▁Soviet ▁invasion ▁of ▁Poland ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁occupied ▁vast ▁areas ▁of ▁eastern ▁Poland ▁( re ferred ▁to ▁in ▁Poland ▁as ▁K res y ▁w sch od nie ▁or ▁" e astern ▁Border lands "), ▁and ▁another ▁ 5 . 2 – 6 . 5 ▁million ▁eth nic ▁Pol es ▁( from ▁the ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 3 . 5 ▁million ▁residents ▁of ▁these ▁territ ories ) ▁were ▁added , ▁followed ▁by ▁further ▁large - scale ▁for cible ▁deport ations ▁to ▁Si ber ia , ▁Kaz akh stan ▁and ▁other ▁remote ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁ ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁Poland ' s ▁citizens ▁held ▁capt ive ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁is ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁dispute , ▁and ▁ranges ▁from ▁over ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁up ▁to ▁nearly ▁ 2 ▁million , ▁according ▁to ▁various ▁sources . ▁On ▁March ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Arch ival ▁Service ▁of ▁Russian ▁Foreign ▁Int elligence ▁Service , ▁General ▁Vas ili ▁K hr ist of or ov ▁gave ▁alleg ed ▁exact ▁numbers