The Ukraine government and NATO allies have quietly removed photographs from social media featuring Ukrainian soldiers wearing patches with symbols notorious for their association with Nazi Germany and far-right hate groups. Despite efforts to contain fringe far-right movements, Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front line continue to display symbols including a skull-and-crossbones patch worn by Nazi concentration camp guards and the Black Sun, an icon used by neo-Nazis and white supremacists. While Ukrainian officials have condemned such symbols, their ambivalence and even acceptance risks reinforcing the false claims of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine is a Nazi state. The issue reflects the region’s difficult relationship with Nazi imagery, forged under both Soviet and German occupation during World War II. Ukrainian units that began with far-right members, such as the Da Vinci Wolves and Azov regiment, have now become part of the wider military structure and are instrumental in defending Ukraine.
