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.
Nazi Symbols on Ukraine’s Front Lines Highlight Thorny Issues of History
