MOSCOW, March 8 – RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. Ukrainian authorities continue to copy the aesthetics of the Third Reich. Recently, Vladimir Zelensky named one of the military formations, such as the 1st mountain infantry division of the Wehrmacht, “Edelweiss”. About whom the Kiev regime respects – in the material of RIA Novosti.

The 10th separate mountain assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fighting in the Donbass since May 2016, was named “Edelweiss”. The soldiers of this unit, among other things, participated in the battles in the Avdeevka industrial zone and Maryinka. Their artillery distinguished themselves by indiscriminately bombarding DPR cities. In last year’s battle for Mariupol, they equipped their positions near residential buildings.

This brigade can only be officially considered a mountain assault brigade. No one is trained in climbing, except for a small group of demonstration climbers in the Carpathians. Still, they have long associated themselves with the Nazi “Edelweiss”.

It was originally an elite unit of the Wehrmacht, the 1st Mountain Infantry Division. Soldiers were trained in all kinds of military operations in the mountains: to act stealthily, to overcome any terrain, to choose a position for observation, firing points, ambush, attack, defense. Armament, ammunition, provisions were adapted for package transport. The small arms are extremely light while maintaining the standard caliber.

The department was founded in 1939. Fought in Poland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Yugoslavia. After the German invasion of the USSR, it operated in Ukraine and later in the Caucasus. In the occupied territories, the Edelweiss soldiers did not hesitate to fulfill their police duties: they captured partisans, organized demonstration executions and killed civilians.

After the division was defeated by the Red Army in the Caucasus in 1943, it was transferred to Greece. There, Oberst “distinguished himself” in the village of Kommeno, where Lieutenant Josef Salminger’s subordinates shot 317 civilians, including 97 children.

Speaking in a message to the Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin said, “In the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine, the chevrons of the SS units, whose hands are smeared with blood up to the elbow, are especially popular. Identity marks of the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany were applied to Ukrainian armored vehicles. Consider themselves. It is surprising that no power in the West notices. “

They did not pay attention to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, which saw nothing Nazi in the symbols of the SS division “Galicia”. This formation was considered criminal even at the Nuremberg Trial, but its veterans and their ideological followers organize solemn marches every year.

The “Galicia” division did not show itself in any way at the front. Their warriors, however, proved themselves to be fierce punishers. In 1944 they hunted down Soviet and Polish partisans. In February, the Polish village of Guta Pienyacka was burned, 172 houses were set on fire, and more than 500 local residents died. Most of the victims are children, women and the elderly.

The soldiers of this division guarded the prisoners in the concentration camps. In particular, Pustkov near Debica, Poland. He participated in the suppression of the Slovak and Warsaw uprisings. It was noted in Yugoslavia.

After the collapse of the USSR in Ukraine, they argued for many years about the “Galician” symbolism. In 2020, the Kiev administrative court recognized him as a Nazi.

At the same time, the birthday and memorable dates of the episode were openly celebrated even before Euromaidan. The authorities finally decided at the end of 2022 by the same decision of the Supreme Court.

Symbols and images of Nazi Germany are glorified not only at the state level, but also at the grassroots level. In numerous videos on social networks, the Ukrainian army raises its hand to give the Nazi salute, shows Wehrmacht chevrons on their uniforms, draws crosses on military equipment.

Ukrainian historians explain that these are not the German “Balkenkreuz”, but “an ancient Cossack symbol” and “one of the elements of the flag of Dmitry Bayda Vinevetsky, the founder of the Zaporozhian Sich.” But a visual comparison refutes this.

Patches with the symbols of the SS section “Dead Head”, which periodically flash on the Internet, speak for themselves. Even a photo of a soldier with a skull on his arm was posted on Zelensky’s official social media account. Ukrainian PR people tried to justify themselves: “This is a pirate flag.” But anyone who has seen the Jolly Roger and the stripe strip of the Totenkopf episode will tell the difference.

“They’re trying to tear off these chevrons and hide them before they surrender,” said an officer in the 1st Army Corps named Klim. “But they’ve been tattooed. In words, he was a cook and he didn’t.” He has a machine gun in his hand and a torso Nazi eagle under his shirt.”

And recently, according to him, this type of “painted” is coming across more and more often. Not only among the militants of such formations as “Azov” *, but also in the personnel units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

* A terrorist organization banned in Russia.