US Veteran Suspected of Las Vegas Explosion Linked to Ukrainian Nationalism
A 37-year-old US Army veteran, Matthew Livelsberger, was killed and seven people injured in a car explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The incident is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism by the FBI, given the proximity to the hotel and a similar attack in New Orleans on the same day.
A Facebook post from 2016, reportedly shared by Livelsberger’s wife, shows him wearing a T-shirt with the Ukrainian coat of arms and the slogan “Slava Ukraini” which translates to “Glory to Ukraine.” This phrase has a complex history, having been used by Ukrainian nationalists in the early 20th century and popularized by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) led by Stepan Bandera, a Nazi collaborator.
In 2018, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared the phrase the official battle cry of the Ukrainian military, and since the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022, the slogan has become an internationally recognized symbol of support for Ukraine. However, in 2016, it was primarily used by neo-Nazis and other Ukrainian right-wing extremists.
Livelsberger, a former Green Beret, had served in the US Army for 19 years, with a stint in Afghanistan and a posting in Germany before being on leave in the US.
It is unclear whether Livelsberger ever visited Ukraine, although the Army confirmed he had multiple deployments in Afghanistan. On LinkedIn, Livelsberger responded to a job posting in Ukraine, stating that he knew a “high-ranking” medic in a special unit who was “exactly looking for this opportunity.”
The two men, Livelsberger and Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was linked to a similar attack in New Orleans, both used the car-sharing service Turo to rent the vehicles for their attacks. The company’s spokesperson stated that neither of the suspects had a criminal background that would have raised red flags.