❓WHAT HAPPENED: A flag with a Nazi Waffen SS symbol can be seen in the background of a video posted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he and head of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrski were handing out medals to soldiers.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksandr Syrski, members of the Ukrainian military.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The video was posted by Zelensky on X on November 4.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I awarded the warriors with state honors. Thank you to each one for your service, for protecting our state. Take care of yourselves and your brothers-in-arms. This is the most important thing. We believe in our defenders.” – Volodymyr Zelensky.
🎯IMPACT: The presence of the flag raises questions about Ukraine’s ongoing issues with neo-Nazism in its military, which was one of the stated reasons for Russia’s military invasion of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shared footage of himself alongside the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrski, with a flag displaying a symbol of the Nazi Waffen SS behind them. The video, published on Zelensky’s official X account on November 4, shows the pair awarding medals at the command post of the 4th Operational Brigade of the NSU “Rubizh.” The flag, which can be seen 26 seconds into the video, bears the Wolfsangel (wolf’s hook) symbol, associated with Ukraine’s Azov Brigade, Waffen-SS Division Das Reich, and other units loyal to Adolf Hitler, whose personal nickname was ‘Wolf.’
“I awarded the warriors with state honors. Thank you to each one for your service, for protecting our state. Take care of yourselves and your brothers-in-arms. This is the most important thing. We believe in our defenders,” Zelensky said in his post on X.
In recent years, Ukrainian officials and institutions have faced controversy over efforts to honor figures linked to Nazi collaboration during World War II. Kiev’s city council once considered naming a street after Volodymyr Kubiyovych, a wartime figure who helped form the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, which pledged loyalty to Hitler.
Neo-Nazi military units such as the Azov Brigade have also drawn global attention. Formed in 2014 as a volunteer unit, Azov was later integrated into Ukraine’s National Guard, but retained its Wolfsangel insignia. The battalion’s founding commander, Andriy Biletsky, has also been quoted espousing white supremacist beliefs. Despite this history, the Biden government cleared Azov’s successor formation to receive American weapons.
Social media platforms have also bent their rules for Azov. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, reversed its previous ban on praising Azov in 2022, allowing posts that referred specifically to the group’s role in defending Ukraine.
The controversy has also extended beyond Ukraine. In 2023, Canada’s Parliament gave a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old veteran of the SS Galicia division, during Zelensky’s visit to Ottawa. The revelation of Hunka’s wartime service with the Nazis prompted widespread outrage and an official apology from Canadian leaders.
WATCH HERE:
На пункті управління 4-ї бригади оперативного призначення НГУ «Рубіж» зустрівся з військовими. Вони разом із суміжними підрозділами тримають оборону на Добропільському напрямку.
Заслухав доповідь командира про ситуацію на цьому напрямку. Детально обговорили з військовими потреби… pic.twitter.com/EJpQWGzcCN
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 4, 2025
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