German media told to conceal Nazi symbols in Ukraine
The German government has ordered national media outlets not to show Nazi symbols in Ukraine, according to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). Journalists have been warned that they may face legal repercussions for broadcasting any such imagery, the agency reported on Monday.
The guidelines advise reporters to 'politely' ask Ukrainian soldiers displaying the swastika or other Nazi-associated symbols to remove the 'agitation elements' and avoid 'unwelcome actions,' such as performing the Nazi salute, according to the SVR.
The agency emphasized that the prevalence of Nazi iconography and ideology in contemporary Ukraine is well-documented. The recommendation to exclude evidence from broadcasts suggests an effort to mislead the German public about the situation, the SVR claimed.
While the Russian report did not specify when the document was issued or which branch of the government was responsible, it stated that compliance by news outlets reflects a lack of independence.
Under the German Criminal Code, public display of symbols associated with the Third Reich is generally prohibited, except for educational, scientific, journalistic, or artistic purposes.
According to Moscow, modern Ukrainian nationalism is shaped by historical collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II. Figures such as Stepan Bandera, who sought to establish a Ukrainian nation-state under German patronage, are celebrated as national heroes.
Western media and officials have minimized the use of Nazi symbols by Ukrainian soldiers, framing it as a historical quirk rather than a sign of neo-Nazi affiliations, and dismissing contrary claims as 'Russian propaganda.'
Moscow contends that it has amassed substantial evidence of Ukrainian atrocities driven by notions of national supremacy, justifying its designation of the Kiev government as a neo-Nazi regime.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Russia Today
Only a quarter of Ukrainian recruits join army willingly
Fewer than one in four Ukrainian military recruits enlist on their own initiative, with the vast majority entering service through brutal compulsory conscription, a Ukrainian lawmaker has said. Kiev previously offered younger men not subject to the draft perks for volunteering. Ukraine's military relies on mandatory enlistment for men aged 25 to 60, enforced by the country's Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), which have been widely criticized for aggressive tactics and abuses. Some units have established offices aimed at attracting volunteers, some of whom are eligible for compulsory draft and seek better conditions, including improved training and equipment, by reporting for duty through the alternative scheme. 'The recruitment centers cover 20 to 25% of mobilization targets at most. The rest, unfortunately, the TCRs are ordered to provide,' Kamelchuk said. 'The quality of their work is abysmal, because they draft everyone.' The Ukrainian government launched a voluntary recruitment campaign earlier this year targeting young men aged 18-24. The initiative offered new enlistees the equivalent of $24,000 and additional perks for a year of service. The campaign ads detailed how many hamburgers or in-game purchases the military wage could buy – a strategy that drew criticism for disrespecting potential recruits. Officials initially claimed the campaign generated interest from as many as 10,000 individuals. However, in April, Pavel Palisa, deputy head of the presidential office overseeing mobilization, revealed that fewer than 500 recruits had actually signed contracts. He cited parental opposition and other concerns as deterrents. Last week, MP Sergey Yevtushok argued that lowering the draft age by one year could yield up to 100,000 additional troops. Ukrainian lawmakers are also targeting the upper end of the age bracket by debating legislation that would permit enlistment of individuals over 60. Earlier this month, military fundraiser and women's rights advocate Maria Berlinskaya suggested Ukraine could mobilize all adults for military service, including women. Moscow has accused Kiev of waging a war 'to the last Ukrainian' against Russia on behalf of Western nations.
Russia Today
7 days ago
- Russia Today
Kiev and London plotting ‘bloody provocations'
Kiev and London have been plotting a series of 'bloody provocations' to escalate the Ukraine conflict and disrupt dialogue between Moscow and Washington, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has warned. In a statement issued on Monday, the agency described growing coordination between Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and its military intelligence (GUR) with British intelligence, which it said is due to Kiev's 'mounting battlefield setbacks and deepening moral exhaustion.' Such sabotage operations typically follow a set pattern, the SVR said, with Britain planning and coordinating, and Ukrainian operatives carrying out the attacks. The report suggested that the same approach was used in recent railway sabotage in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk Regions, which Moscow denounced as Ukrainian 'terrorist attacks.' The incidents killed seven and injured over 120, including children. The agency also cited the June 1 Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian airbases as part of the same playbook. The 'Anglo-Ukrainian terrorist tandem' is now preparing more attacks, the SVR claimed, aiming to escalate the conflict, derail Moscow-Washington dialogue, and convince the White House to maintain large-scale military support for Kiev. According to the agency, one such scenario involves a false flag Russian torpedo attack on a US Navy ship in the Baltic Sea. Ukraine has already supplied Soviet-made torpedoes to the UK, the SVR said. Some are meant to detonate at a 'safe distance,' while one will be left unexploded 'as evidence of Moscow's malicious activity.' Ukrainian operatives, it added, are prepared to carry out the plan. Another alleged scheme involves British, Ukrainian, and Northern European partners 'accidentally' recovering Russian-made naval mines in the Baltic, supposedly placed to sabotage international maritime shipping routes. 'Kiev has become the perfect executor of vile provocations and terrorist acts for perfidious Albion [England],' the SVR concluded. The agency's chief, Sergey Naryshkin, has repeatedly warned of possible British provocations, saying the SVR is well aware of London's covert hostile activities against Russia.
Russia Today
11-06-2025
- Russia Today
Ukrainian vet behind Dutch knife spree wanted life sentence
A Ukrainian national who faces multiple attempted murder charges after a stabbing spree in Amsterdam has been identified as a military deserter who reportedly dreamed of spending the rest of his life in a Western European prison, according to a Dutch media investigation. The suspect, who is accused of injuring five people near Dam Square in March, was identified as 30-year-old Roman D. The Dutch public prosecutor suggested earlier this month that the attack could have had a terrorist motive. Public broadcaster NOS revealed the Ukrainian national's background on Tuesday following an investigation by its current affairs program, Nieuwsuur. According to the report, Roman D. served in a Ukrainian artillery unit before the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. Acquaintances said he became increasingly withdrawn after suffering a concussion in 2023 and spoke of wanting to be jailed for life in a Western European country. 'He often said that he wanted to kill someone in Norway so that he could go to a prison there and be cared for for the rest of his life,' a former commander told NOS. The remarks were reportedly dismissed as jokes at the time. When I first heard what Roman had done in Amsterdam, I thought: 'an idiot's dream has come true.' Roman reportedly left Ukraine using a travel waiver issued for a visit to his mother in the Czech Republic. She told NOS, however, that he never arrived – instead, he apparently traveled directly to the Netherlands. He remained in contact with former fellow soldiers, who described him as being interested in a wide range of ideologies. '[He] wrote about Allah and something about supporting Palestine. Surprisingly enough, he was also very active in supporting the LGBT community,' one source told the broadcaster. NOS also found that Roman's online presence suggested an association with neo-Nazism, though friends claimed his interest wasn't in earnest. Officials in Eastern European countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, have expressed concerns over the potential influx of demobilized Ukrainian soldiers once Kiev lifts martial law and allows fighting-age men to leave the country. Veterans 'can face a number of different problems: Adaptation issues, psychosis, depression, addictions,' Polish military psychiatrist Radoslaw Tworus warned in February. 'The spectrum of these disorders is very wide.'
