INTERNATIONAL UKRAINE ANTI-FASCIST SOLIDARITY

By Dmitry Plotnikov The Ukrainian regiment adheres to its own brand of ‘National Idea,’ loosely modelled on Mussolini's Italy Despite the surrender of the Azov regiment at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works during the fighting in Mariupol last month, the legend of this unit has turned out to be enduring. The Ukrainian command has already announced that new Azov special operations forces will be created in Kharkov and Kiev. At the same time, a partial rebranding has been carried out. A medieval heraldic symbol – a trident (the coat of arms of Ukraine) consisting of three swords – is now depicted on the chevron of the ‘new’ Azov in place of the stylized Wolfsangel (‘wolf's hook’) that has attracted so much criticism from not only Russia, but also the West and fellow Ukrainians. This condemnation is for good reason, as the symbol was used on the lapels of the SS’s Das Reich and Landstorm Nederland divisions, as well as the logo of the Dutch Nazi Party. The Azovites have rejected a

by Evgeny Norin Much less than the heroic defenders they are made out to be, the extremist regiment’s many crimes are well documented Ukrainian propaganda has elevated the Azov Battalion’s protracted but ultimately doomed final stand in Mariupol to heroic proportions. Adding further pathos to this sentimental story were the desperate calls for help from the commanders of the units entrapped in the bowels of the Azovstal factory and the photogenic young wives of the besieged fighters pleading with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Yet, an observant eye could also wonder about the abundance of Nazi tattoos adorning the battalion’s POWs. The fighters of the Donetsk militia even came up with a joke about capturing “large numbers of pirates and electricians” in reference to the numerous individuals with the skull and crossbones and SS lightning bolts – the widely recognizable Totenkopf and Schutzstaffel symbols – emblazoned on their skin. Western media has been bending over backwards trying to e