THE UKRAINIAN NATIONALIST-VOLUNTEER BATTALIONS AND IMPROPER CRITICISM

For how many times we have heard a various accusations towards the fighters Ukrainian nationalist volunteer military formations, such as the "OUN" volunteer battalion, the "Right Sector" all-Ukrainian Volunteer Corps (DUC) and especially the "Azov" regiment. Whole the flow of criticism is caused by the fact that the soldiers of these military units are a nationalists and don't even try to hide their right-wing political views. All these accusations are really useful for Russian propaganda first of all, especially at the occupied territories of Ukraine.


You see, the guys with tattoos in the form of runes, the black sun or any other nationalist symbols look really frightening for the liberal community around the world, especially if they see these guys with weapons and dressed in camouflage. Is someone of these "military experts" are really believes that the ideas of tolerance or pacifism is the most important thing at the frontline? Moreover, the "Right Sector" Volunteer Corps and the "OUN" volunteer battalion are not a parts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it means that these guys did not take a single penny from the state budget for more than a year of their participation in the national-liberation struggle in Donbass. They were forced to buy uniforms and other military supplies with own funds, officially the members of these military units did not even received a single riffle from the numerous military depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

When one of the "Right Sector" officers was awarded with a pistol "Fort-12", he joked that this is the first official weapon in the "DUC". And, of course, some liberals can't sleep knowing that somewhere in Ukraine the right-wing patriots defending their own Fatherland without any financial support of the state, they are united only by patriotic feelings and supported by a various volunteer organisations who supply food, uniforms and many other extremely necessary things to the frontline. So yes, these guys and their ideological positions deserve respect! Ideological pluralism - is the lowest price that society can pay these guys for their heroic deed! 

"Azov" regiment is another theme for fierce debates and various accusations from all kind of liberals and other "experts". The regiment is often accused in Neo-Nazism, citing the main (and perhaps the most stupid) reason - their symbol of the "Idea of the Nation". Allegedly this symbol is altered swastika ... or not, something different... a kind of emblem of the 2nd SS Panzer Division, but also in a mirror image... or not... ? Anyway, noone can't prohibit this symbol given the fact that it was a symbol of the military unit and there is no political background. Anyway, anyone can prohibit this symbol given the fact that it was a symbol of the military unit and there is no political background. Following this logic someone can even try to ban the coat of arms of Galician region - a golden lion with three crowns, which was a symbol of the SS Galicia Division (Meanwhile, this symbol wasn't prohibited in Lviv even during the Soviet occupation of Ukraine), of even prohibition of Tryzub (Trident) - the national symbol of Ukraine because it was a symbol of a number of Ukrainian formations on the side of the Wehrmacht, such as the Ukrainian Liberation Army (UVV) or the Ukrainian National Army (UNA), Trident was the symbol of the Italian divisione "Tridentina" that was part of the Mussolini's army. It is not correct to consider some symbols as the Nazi if it was a symbol of the military formation without political background. The Mountain Riflemen of Germany and Austria still proudly worn the symbol of edelweiss - symbol of the kind of troops, although it was a symbol of the SS Mountain Riflemen. 

Sometimes we can find an articles about foreign volunteers, who fight at the side of Ukraine, often they have wrote about the Swedish sniper Michael Skilt or Croatian nationalists in the ranks of the "Azov" regiment. All they profess a quite intolerant views same as the Ukrainian members of the nationalist regiment, they also wearing a t-shirts or tattoos with nationalist symbols. Michael Skilt is the member of Swedish nationalist movement, he has National-Socialist views, Croatian brothers have brought the Ustaše flag to the frontline, how we know, these movement was so far from liberalism in their policy. Nevertheless they are worthy people and have great respect among the Ukrainian military and civilians. Moreover, these people have came to the front of Donbass not because of concern of the governments of their countries towards the situation in Ukraine, but because of solidarity and brotherly support of the Ukrainian nationalists, who fights neo-Bolshevik plague in Donbass. 

It's not even in the political views of those guys, can you imagine a volunteer battalion, where would fight a guys with tattoos of Moses and Bernstein under the slogans like "Fight for class, not for a race"? I don`t think so, all that such people can - is talks. The fact remains that a nationalists are defending Ukraine now and this is ineffable stupidity to murmur against them because of their right-wing political views. If someone of these liberal "experts" willing to take arms up and help us to defend our Fatherland - welcome, but if some of them want to criticize our soldiers and their worldview - they had better shut up. Now the nationalists are sacrificing their lives for our freedom and it is more than honourably!