By Alya Shandra
Nazis from the Russian National Unity (RNE), a far-right radical organization, is at war in Ukraine, as the RNE’s leader Alexandr Barkhashov reported on his VK page on August 13.
“THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL UNITY ARE SOMEWHERE UNDER HORLIVKA,” he captioned the photos of his group of militants.
The members of the Russian National Unity are known in Russia for wearing wristbands with swastikas and using the nazi greeting. Their ideology is based on racial and national intolerance and antisemitism. The goals of this group is to wage war “for our faith, for Russians, for Novorossiya, for Russia, and against the Satanic plans of the USA, and against the Dill (i.e. Ukrainians).” Barkhashov’s “Russian National Unity” also is against the “Global Jewish Plot,” “Free Masonic Jewry,” “The Invisible Hand of the Jewish Manipulators” etc.
Alexandr’s page announces an ongoing draft into divisions of the Russian National Unity. It displays a frightening mix of religious fanaticism, nationalistic expansionism, and conspiracy theory.
A war waged against external enemies that are threatening Russia is driving fanatical youth to kill and be killed in a neighboring state that just recently was a country inhabited by “Slavic brothers,” as Ukrainians and Belarusians are called by Russians when it is needed to emphasize that there is no difference between them. It didn’t take much to shatter this concept: Russia’s relentless stream of hate-inciting propaganda has led most Russians to believe that Ukraine is populated by “Ukrs,” “Ukrops,” “rightsectors” etc. A plethora of aliases removing all traces of former “brotherhood” makes it easier to hate and kill, or, if not kill, support Putin’s policies and rally for the introduction of troops into Ukraine. This destiny awaits all enemies of Putin’s political interests.
Ironically, Alexandr’s page also displays the underlying reasons for Russian anti-western conspiracy theories that seek to find enemies in the rest of the world. It is the only explanation for the poor state of affairs and grim reality that Russia offers for its citizens.
