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A soldier with neo-Nazi symbols on his arm received a medal from a Russian-backed separatist republic for killing Ukrainian ‘nationalists’

    Soldiers of the DNR (Donetsk People's Republic) run with a stretcher with a wounded separatist in a disputed area of ​​Mariupol. The battle between Russian/Pro-Russian forces and the defending Ukrainian forces led by the Azov Battalion continues in the port city of Mariupol.

    According to a report, the soldier and his battalion had taken out “45 units of military equipment and more than 250 nationalists” while fighting alongside Russian troops.Maximilian Clarke/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    • The Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic has rewarded one of its fighters for killing Ukrainian ‘nationalists’.

    • Footage shows the fighter wearing neo-Nazi symbols as he takes delivery of his medal.

    • Moscow has tried to justify the invasion of Ukraine by claiming that the country is run by ‘Nazis’.

    The head of Ukraine’s breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic is featured in a video presenting a medal to a fighter for helping to kill “more than 250 nationalists”.

    The images, which were published on the website of the Russian-backed republic on April 3, also show the fighter with neo-Nazi symbols on his sleeve.

    According to the site, the video shows DPR leader Denis Pushilin saluting and shaking hands with senior lieutenant Roman Vorobyov of the “Somalia” motorized rifle battalion during a visit to Mariupol. He then spells the commendation—dubbed it “St George Cross II” in an accompanying report—on Vorobyov.

    Two spots can be seen on Vorobyov’s right arm.

    One shows the “Totenkopf” or “skull” – a skull and crossbones image recognized by the Anti-Defamation League as a neo-Nazi and white supremacist symbol. It was originally used by a Nazi German SS division guarding concentration camps and was later incorporated into the Third SS Panzer Division during World War II.

    Vorobyov also wore a patch with the “Valknot,” an ancient Norse symbol associated with the god Odin, according to the ADL. The Valknot has also been appropriated by white supremacists, the league says.

    Screenshot of DPR soldier with neo-Nazi symbols on his right sleeve

    A screenshot of the video shows the neo-Nazi symbols “Valknot” and “Totenkopf” on the soldier’s right sleeve.Screenshot/ODDR.Info

    The video accompanying the report said Vorobyov and his battalion had taken out “45 units of military equipment and more than 250 nationalists” while fighting alongside Russian forces.

    A version of the video posted on Pushilin’s official website did not show Vorobyov receiving his medal. It’s not immediately clear why that part of the video was removed.

    In justifying the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that the country is controlled by “Nazis” and that the Russian campaign aims to “denazify” the region. Moscow has also recognized the areas of Luhansk and Donetsk – where the DPR is based – as independent republics and said it wants to “liberate” the areas.

    While Ukraine has a neo-Nazi presence among some of its fighters, such as the ultra-nationalist Azov battalion, experts say Putin’s claims are a misrepresentation of the country and factually false. The democratically elected president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is a Jewish man with several relatives who were killed in the Holocaust.

    Read the original article on Business Insider