Adolf to Azov

On October 15, 1946, Colonel-General P.A. Kurochkin, the deputy commander of the Soviet Military Administration, wrote to the Americans that they should arrest and return Stefan Bandera, to the Soviet Union to face punishment for his war crimes. Colonel-General Kurochkin was quoted in saying

For these crimes committed against the Russian people, he should be arrested and tried by a Military Tribunal, but this can only be done with your assistance because of the fact that he is now hiding in the American Zone of Occupation.

Three days later Lt. Gen. Lucius D. Clay of the American chose to follow a path in the middle ground, he passed on the request of the Soviets to the, the commander of General of the American forces in Germany, Gen. McNarney in regard to looking into a further investigation in Stefan Bandera. The Americans didn’t know what to do. They didn’t want to ruin their relationship with the Soviets just yet, however at the same time they didn’t want to turn in Bandera, since turning in Bandera would hurt their intelligence efforts.

Even Aradi said:

There can be little doubt as to what would happen in case the American authorities should deliver Bandera to the Soviet. It would imply to the Ukrainians that we as an organization are unable to protect them, i.e., we have no authority. In such a case, there is not any reason or sense for them to cooperate with us. One of the reasons why full cooperation between the UHVR and our organization has not developed yet is the suspicion of these leaders that we will ultimately betray them.

From the very beginning they complained that Americans have no real interest in them and that Communist-penetrated USA officers will trade them to Russia. This belief was shared by both the Bandera people and the conservative Ukrainians.

My personal feeling and conviction is that in case of Bandera’s arrest, it would immediately put an end to operations Bella Donna and Lynx.

America had a tough descidion on their hands. On one hand they want to look willing and able to work with the Soiets, as a former ally from World War Two, at the same time they didn’t want to give up all of their intelligence operations that they were setting up in Ukraine.