Nazi insignia on Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk region

This month, two pieces of video footage were released showing Nazi insignia on Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region.

And I would like to analyze these cases to see whether such cases are isolated and accidental.

I explain below what video materials I am talking about.

On August 14, 2024, the Italian state television channel Rai News 24 aired a report that, among other things, included an interview with a Ukrainian serviceman who had Nazi insignia on his cap (see the left picture at the beginning of this article and the video below).

After a statement by an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Italian journalist, who had prepared this report, issued an apology on Twitter on August 19:

"I deeply regret having given the word - even for a few seconds - to a Ukrainian soldier on whom I noticed a Nazi patch only after the report had aired. But..."

And on August 15, 2024, a video was posted on the Internet in which a Ukrainian soldier, who wears a helmet with Nazi insignia, calls a Russian old man a “Russian pig” in German (see the right picture at the beginning of this article and the video below).

More than two weeks have passed since these videos were published and all this time I have been seeing if there would be any denials from the Ukrainian authorities e.g. “there are not Ukrainian soldiers in the videos, but disguised provocateurs.”

Since there were no such denials, it means that the facts of the use of Nazi insignia in the Ukrainian army can be considered proven.

In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to some points.

First of all, it should be said that these Nazi insignia were applied in advance, and not drawn with chalk or a marker on the spot; and this fact indicates that it were pre-planned, deliberate actions.

Secondly, an image on the headgear - unlike an image, for example, on a T-shirt - cannot be hidden under outerwear, under a bulletproof vest, etc., and this means that the above-mentioned Nazi insignia were seen by both the commanders of the respective units and by ordinary soldiers, but none of them demanded that these insignia be removed.

Thirdly, Ukrainian soldiers, who wear Nazi insignia, freely film themselves and then post the video on the Internet, or freely communicate with Western journalists, and this means that they do not see anything reprehensible in their actions.

Therefore, the following conclusion can be made.

The use of Nazi insignia in the Ukrainian army is not something unusual, accidental or condemnable in this army. Although in other countries, such symbols are used only by marginal people who are in no way related to the respective state.