Tuesday, Mar. 8, 2022
Is there a neo-Nazi movement in Ukraine?
Neo-Nazi movements exist inside Ukraine, with the ultranationalist Azov Battalion being the most prominent among them. Created in 2014 to assist the Ukrainian army in its military conflict with Russia, the 900-member battalion, which has been formally integrated into Ukraine's armed forces, uses Nazi-era symbolism and recruits neo-Nazis into its membership.
The group was founded by white supremacist Andriy Biletsky, who stated Ukraine's mission was to "lead the white races in a final crusade…against Semite-led Untermenschen [inferior races]."
Ukrainian neo-Nazi movements are limited in scope and lack political power. In 2019, Ukraine's far-right bloc received 2.3% of the vote.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that the invasion of Ukraine was done in part to "denazify" Ukraine. Many remain doubtful of this, citing that numerous Ukrainian Jews have felt the need to take refuge or flee the country.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Al-Jazeera Profile: Who are Ukraine’s far-right Azov regiment?
- Reuters Commentary: Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem
- Guardian Ukraine's National Militia: 'We're not neo-Nazis, we just want to make our country better'
- Haaretz The Far Right Just Got Humiliated in Ukraine’s Election — but Don’t Write It Off Just Yet
- NBC News Allan Ripp: Ukraine has a Nazi problem, but Vladimir Putin's 'denazification' claim for war is a lie.
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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