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Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Russian army has been supported by mercenaries and paramilitaries who defend exacerbated nationalism. Can they be called Nazis?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that one of his goals for invading Ukraine was to denazify the country. However, since the war in the DonbassRussia uses the Wagner military company, a group of mercenaries. Its founder, Dimitri Utkinhas an SS tattoo on his neck. “He is known to be an admirer of Hitler“Explains Alexandra Joussetjournalist, director of “Wagner, Putin’s Secret Army”.
A large part of the group claims to belong to a movement neopagan Slavic. “It’s a far-right ideology.” continues Alexandra Jousset. unit rosichanother Russian paramilitary battalion, also comes close to this idea. “This battalion draws heavily from national socialist, neo-Nazi ideology“, says Adrian Nojonresearcher at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations. This part of the Russian forces cannot therefore be qualified as Nazi, but its ideology supports the existence of a Slavic, white race which would be superior to the others.
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