Israel Matzav

Pro-Russian units in Ukraine connected to Cossak's?

A magazine from the Ukraine reports that at least some of the pro-Russian forces in the eastern Ukraine are connected to the Cossack's. Yes, those Cossack's.

From the identified militants, a few notes can be made from the following gunmen who appear to be connected to the raids in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. For one, not all are from Russia.

While some may be local radicals, others appear to come from Belorechensk in Russia, or have connections to related neo-Cossack groups. This does not necessarily exonerate Russian state involvement, however. While it’s been known that military veterans and Russian ‘tourists’ have been actively involved for some time, the presence of Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation connects Russia officially to the ongoing crisis. Registered Cossack organizations enjoy financial and organizational support from the authorities, including monthly salary as police auxiliaries. This, of course, isn’t the first controversial deployment of Cossack forces, who made a name for themselves on the world stage enforcing the law in Sochi.

Another point of interest is the insignia seen on a number of the gunmen. For clarity’s sake, the symbol is that of Andrei Shkuro‘s ‘Terek Wolf Company’, a detachment of White emigre Cossacks who fought for Nazi Germany during the second world war.

You might surmise that these units that fought for Nazi Germany in World War II aren't exactly lovers of Jews.

Read the whole thing. 

Labels: anti-Semitism, Nazis, Russia, Ukraine

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:32 PM