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Vataša massacre

SOLVED1943Vataša, Kavadarci, North Macedonia2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On 16 June 1943, near the village of Vatasa in an area of Yugoslav Macedonia then occupied by Bulgaria, Bulgarian army and police forces carried out a mass shooting of local youths. The killings took place near Mokliste, in the Cair area, during a wider anti-partisan campaign against the communist resistance and people accused of assisting it.

According to the cited historical accounts, the operation was conducted under the overall command of Lyuben Apostolov, commander of the 56th Veles Infantry Regiment of the Fifth Bulgarian Army. Local supporters of the occupation authorities had compiled a list of young people alleged to have had contact with Macedonian partisans. Arrests were made on the morning of 16 June, and the detained young men were taken outside the village and shot. Twelve people between the ages of 15 and 28 were killed; four girls who had also been arrested were later released.

The killings caused anger among the local population. An inquiry by occupation-era officials attributed responsibility within the local administration, but the only administrative consequence described in the cited accounts was the transfer of a deputy district governor.

After the war, Apostolov was extradited to the new Yugoslav authorities and tried in Kavadarci. He pleaded not guilty, arguing that the victims had been captured while armed and were subject to wartime military orders. The court convicted him, sentenced him to death, and he was executed. The cited accounts state that several other officers and non-commissioned officers involved in the operation were also sentenced to death.

Historical interpretation differs between North Macedonia, where the massacre has been described in ethnonational terms, and Bulgaria, where some accounts characterize it as an isolated wrongful decision rather than a product of ethnic policy.

Key facts

Victims
Ilčo Dimov, Gerasim Metakov, Ferčo Pop Gjorgjiev, Pero Videv, Blaže Icev, Dime Čekorov, Risto Gjondev, Panče Meškov, Pane Džunov, Danko Dafkov, Vaso Hadžijordanov, Vančo Gurev
Date
1943
Location
Vataša, Kavadarci, North Macedonia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1943-06-16

    Bulgarian army and police forces arrest young people in Vataša accused of aiding partisans; twelve are taken out of the village and shot.

  2. 1943-06

    Officials Spiro Kitinchev and Danail Krapchev are sent to investigate the killings; deputy district governor Krum Kamchev is identified as having triggered the incident and is later transferred to another village.

  3. 1943-12-20

    Bulgarian police and army kill 18 civilians, including 6 children, in the Yastrebino massacre, cited in later discussions of the Vataša case.

  4. 2023-06

    On the 80th anniversary of the massacre, twelve busts of the victims are unveiled and a Room of Memory is solemnly opened in the village.

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People

  • Boris Zheglov

    CONVICTED

    Army captain who participated in leading the shooting operation; sentenced to death after the war.

  • Ilčo Dimov

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 18, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Petko Oprekov

    CONVICTED

    Police officer who participated in the operation; sentenced to death after the war.

  • Boris Kostov

    CONVICTED

    Lieutenant who participated in leading the shooting operation; sentenced to death after the war.

  • A. Bogdanov

    CONVICTED

    Officer/non-commissioned officer who took part in the action; sentenced to death after the war.

  • Gerasim Metakov

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 18, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Ferčo Pop Gjorgjiev

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 26, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Pero Videv

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 15, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Lyuben Apostolov

    CONVICTED

    Commander of the 56th Veles infantry regiment who led the operation; after the war tried before a court in Kavadarci, pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to death and executed.

  • Blaže Icev

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 20, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Dime Čekorov

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 20, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Risto Gjondev

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 18, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Panče Meškov

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 18, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Pane Džunov

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 18, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Danko Dafkov

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 18, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • Vaso Hadžijordanov

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 28, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

  • D. Raev

    CONVICTED

    Officer/non-commissioned officer who took part in the action; sentenced to death after the war.

  • Vančo Gurev

    VICTIM

    Killed, aged 19, in the 16 June 1943 shooting near Vataša.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Vataša, Kavadarci, North Macedonia

41.4247, 22.0139

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 16 June 1943, Bulgarian occupation army and police forces shot twelve young people, most of them minors, near the village of Vataša in Yugoslav Macedonia, accused of aiding the communist partisan resistance.
Where did the massacre happen?
Vataša, Kavadarci, North Macedonia.
Who was convicted?
Boris Zheglov (Army captain who participated in leading the shooting operation; sentenced to death after the war.), Petko Oprekov (Police officer who participated in the operation; sentenced to death after the war.), Boris Kostov (Lieutenant who participated in leading the shooting operation; sentenced to death after the war.), A. Bogdanov (Officer/non-commissioned officer who took part in the action; sentenced to death after the war.), Lyuben Apostolov (Commander of the 56th Veles infantry regiment who led the operation; after the war tried before a court in Kavadarci, pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to death and executed.), and D. Raev (Officer/non-commissioned officer who took part in the action; sentenced to death after the war.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in North Macedonia

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICVataša massacreWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — 168chasa.bg168chasa.bg · 2026-07-10