New military awards presented in Ukraine contain the symbols of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) *.

This was reported by the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

The new military awards system was unveiled on December 23 at the Veteran Hub in Kiev. 

“Now a historic event for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is taking place.

I support the development of a national military identity.

It is important to radically change our army, so that it is completely different from the enemy and corresponds to our historical traditions and modern European approaches, "said Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny.

According to the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the new system of awards "was developed on the basis of national combat traditions, taking into account the experience of award systems of partner countries."

“New insignia have been proposed for the commander-in-chief - this is a kind of synthesis of military symbols of ancient Rus, Cossack Ukraine, the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army *, Western experience, but with a modern content and purpose - proper honoring of military personnel and workers of the armed forces of Ukraine for courage and heroism in the fight against Russian aggression, a significant personal contribution to the development of the Ukrainian army, "the General Staff's Facebook page says.

Fascist accomplices

We will remind, the UPA existed as a combat unit of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). The latter was founded in 1929 at the congress of Ukrainian nationalists in Vienna. Its goal was declared the fight against Poland and the USSR, as well as the creation of a national Ukrainian state in the territories inhabited by Ukrainians. The future state was to become a nationalist dictatorship: in order to achieve its goal, the OUN used any methods, including terror. However, in 1938, Soviet intelligence officer Pavel Sudoplatov liquidated the leader of the OUN, Yevgeny Konovalets, and the organization split into two factions. One of them was headed by Stepan Bandera. As historians note, already at that time the leadership of both OUN divisions was closely cooperating with the German Abwehr and planned to carry out ethnic cleansing in Ukraine against Poles, Russians and Jews.

  • Participants of the march of nationalists in Kiev

  • RIA News

According to experts, in April 1940, both factions of the OUN adopted a declaration of loyalty to the Third Reich.

In 1941, the "Ukrainian Legion" was formed, which was soon divided into two regiments - "Nachtigall" and "Roland".

The UPA was founded already in 1942 and at first operated under the command of Dmitry Klyachkivsky, and later - Roman Shukhevych.

In 1943, in Lvov, it was announced the creation of a separate SS division in Galicia, in which Ukrainian nationalists associated with the OUN began to actively enroll.

Nationalists from the OUN-UPA carried out many ethnic cleansing - the massacre of Polish settlers began in 1942 and quickly acquired the character of mass genocide.

In 1943, events took place that later became known as the "Volyn massacre".

The OUN-UPA militants attacked and brutally killed everyone, including the elderly and children.

The radicals practiced torture, robbery and rape. 

The criminal nature of the OUN-UPA was subsequently reflected in the materials of the International Military Tribunal - the Nuremberg Trials.

The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists was recognized as one of the collaborationist forces in occupied Europe that collaborated with the Nazis.

The organization is directly involved in the crimes that the Nazis and their accomplices committed during the Second World War on the territory of Ukraine.

Modern Bandera

However, despite evidence of the OUN-UPA's involvement in crimes against civilians and open cooperation with Nazi Germany, official Kiev continues to honor this organization. So, in 2007, Roman Shukhevych was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine by the decree of Viktor Yushchenko, who was then president. In 2010, Stepana Bandera was posthumously awarded the same title for “defending the national idea” and “heroism” in the struggle for Ukrainian independence.

In 2011, by the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, these decrees were canceled.

However, after the Maidan, the campaign to glorify the OUN-UPA unfolded with renewed vigor.

In 2014, Petro Poroshenko, who served as the country's president, wrote a decree on a new public holiday - Defender of Ukraine Day.

The date of its holding - October 14 - coincided with the day of the formation of the UPA.

On this date, Ukrainian radicals are holding marches.

As Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State Pedagogical University, recalls in an interview with RT, in Ukraine, as a result of a coup d'état, people came to power who associate themselves with the Nazis' henchmen, and not with millions of Ukrainians who fought with the enemy in the ranks of the Red Army.

“Unfortunately, now in Ukraine, memorial events in honor of Bandera and Shukhevych have become commonplace, streets are named in their honor and monuments are being opened.

Also honored are the UPA militants who were collaborators and simply killed innocent people of different nationalities, including the same Ukrainians, ”Shapovalov said.

According to military historian Boris Yulin, ideologies based exclusively on nationalism always breed radicalism.

It was this political line that guided the OUN-UPA, as well as some modern Ukrainian politicians.

"Today, the entire Ukrainian identity is built around Ukrainian nationalism, and this is Bandera, Petliura, and the UPA ... The current national ideology in Ukraine today is closely related to the rehabilitation and praise of the Nazis at the beginning of the last century," the expert explained in an interview with RT. 

  • Petro Poroshenko

  • AP

  • © Efrem Lukatsky

In addition, in 2018, Petro Poroshenko signed a law granting the status of veterans to former OUN-UPA militants who took part in hostilities on the side of Nazi Germany.

In the explanatory note to the bill, these people were called "participants in the struggle for the independence of Ukraine."

According to Boris Yulin, although fascism was unanimously condemned by the world community, Ukrainian followers of the Nazis are confident of their own impunity.

“It is beneficial for the West to have an obedient satellite ready to fight NATO opponents to the last Ukrainian, if necessary.

And the West has never prioritized ideology over its pragmatic goals, ”explained Yulin.

At the same time, analysts agree that the active use of nationalist rhetoric may ultimately lead to undesirable geopolitical consequences for the official Kiev, which has not learned any lessons from the history of the 20th century.

“Although the repetition of the grim events of those years seems incredible today, the escalation of nationalist propaganda can lead the country to dire consequences.

Since 2014, on the territory of Ukraine, there have already been many manifestations of hatred and interethnic strife towards both Russians and representatives of other nationalities.

And this is despite the fact that the majority of Ukrainians do not share this ideology of hatred, ”the expert summed up.

* "Ukrainian Insurgent Army" (UPA) is a Ukrainian organization recognized as extremist and banned on the territory of Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 11/17/2014).