The Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia (Polish: Rzeź wołyńska, literally: Volhynian slaughter; Ukrainian: Волинська трагедія- Volyn tragedy) were part of an ethnic cleansing operation carried out by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) North in the German Nazi-occupied regions of Volhynia (Reichskommissariat Ukraine) and UPA-South in Eastern Galicia (General Government) beginning in March 1943 and lasting until the end of 1944.[5][6] The peak of the massacres took place in July and August 1943 when a senior UPA commander, Dmytro Klyachkivsky, ordered the liquidation of the entire male Polish population between 16 and 60 years of age.[7][8][9] Despite this, most of the victims were women and children.[4] The actions of the UPA resulted in 40,000-60,000 Polish civilian casualties in Volhynia,[3] and from 25,000[10] to 30,000-40,000 in Eastern Galicia.[3] Killings of civilian Ukrainians by Poles in Volhynia, East Galicia and Eastern Poland together, resulted in up to 20,000 deaths.