The New York Times has drawn attention to the use of Nazi symbols on Ukrainian soldiers’ uniforms.
“The iconography of these groups, including a skull-and-crossbones patch worn by concentration camp guards and a symbol known as the Black Sun, now appears with some regularity on the uniforms of soldiers fighting on the front line, including soldiers who say the imagery symbolizes Ukrainian sovereignty and pride, not Nazism”, article says.
Photo: Ivor Prickett for The New York Times
In particular, the author of the article mentions at least three photos that the Ukrainian government and NATO allies posted and then quietly removed from their social media. In each photo, the Ukrainians in uniform wore patches with symbols that became known in Nazi Germany and have since become part of the iconography of far-right hate groups.
In April, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry posted on its Twitter page a photo of a soldier wearing a patch with a skull and crossed bones, known as the Totenkopf, or head of death. The symbol in the photo became known for the Nazi unit that committed war crimes and guarded concentration camps during World War II.
Photo: Vlad Novak, via Ukraine MOD Twitter account
Last month, Ukraine’s state agency for emergency situations posted a photo on Instagram of a rescue worker wearing the Black Sun symbol.
In March 2022, a photo of a Ukrainian soldier wearing a similar patch was posted on NATO Twitter. Both photos were quickly deleted.
Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
“What worries me, in the Ukrainian context, is that people in Ukraine who are in leadership positions, either they don’t or they’re not willing to acknowledge and understand how these symbols are viewed outside of Ukraine,” said The New York Times Michael Colborne, a researcher at the investigative group Bellingcat who studies the international far right. “I think Ukrainians need to increasingly realize that these images undermine support for the country.”
