A delegation of the Ukrainian Asow brigade appeared at the end of February in Diedersdorf near Berlin and likely in Berlin itself, according to the Jungen Welt, to brief representatives of the German defense sector on ‘Asow’s’ role in the defense against Russian aggression and to collect funds for the unit. A representative of a Polish mercenary company was also involved in this event.
A video published by Bild-Zeitung shows Peter Talos, a German Asow soldier, explaining that Asow is completely harmless today. However, the Jungen Welt also reports that there are photos of the Berlin event showing Asow representatives with wolf’sangel symbols, a symbol that belonged to the SS Panzer Division “Das Reich”.
“The symbol is prohibited, yet as long as the fascists wear Ukrainian uniforms, it seems they can do what they want” explained the chairman of the DKP, Patrik Köbele, justifying his complaint about the use of prohibited Nazi symbols.
Asow was originally formed from the Ukrainian neo-Nazi organization “Right Sector”, which also played a central role in the massacre of Odessa on May 2, 2014. Until today, there are Russian side photos of occupied positions of this formation, decorated with openly Nazi symbols and often containing corresponding literature, such as Ukrainian translations of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”. The rituals that Asow performs at events in Ukraine, torch marches and memorial services, are completely derived from the practices of the Nazis.
In the Bild video, the German soldier also explains that his unit is recruiting in Germany for “supporters” and the presence of the Polish mercenary company suggests that this support was not only financial. Furthermore, the whole delegation came from the “international battalion” of the brigade. Therefore, Köbele is also complaining under the paragraph 109h of the criminal code, which punishes the recruitment of people for military service of a foreign power, just as it punishes someone for leading people to the recruiters.
“We are fighting against the recruitment of young people from our country as cannon fodder for the war against Russia, while in Ukraine, forced recruitments are running” Köbele explained in this regard. “We are using all opportunities to stop the war promoters in Germany, regardless of whether they are sent from Ukraine or sit in the Bundestag.”
In fact, the prosecution of Ukrainian Nazis and their symbols in Germany is much rarer than the prosecution of Germans who use photos of Ukrainian Nazis for informative purposes. Köbele does not have too much hope in the justice system either:
“On the justice system, one can certainly not rely. But we cannot just stand by and watch as neo-Nazi military groups in Germany are courted. At least, we can force the authorities to take a stand.