Latest news with #RightSector
Russia Today
27-05-2025
- General
- Russia Today
Moscow was ‘forced' to launch military operation against Kiev
Russia was left with no choice but to launch its military operation in Ukraine because of the continued persecution of the people of Donbass by Kiev following the 2014 Western-backed Euromaidan coup, President Vladimir Putin has said. During a meeting with a group of businessmen in the Kremlin on Monday, Putin said Moscow could not ignore the plight of Russian-speakers in the neighboring country. He reiterated Russia's position that the conflict stems from the turbulent events in Kiev in early 2014, when initially peaceful protests spiraled into riots and clashes with police, which led to the ouster of the democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovich. The anti-Yanukovich forces included ultranationalist groups such as Right Sector and Svoboda. 'You need to understand that we weren't the ones who orchestrated the coup in Ukraine,' Putin said. '[The West] has always told us that there should be democracy and elections… but they carried out a coup – a bloody one, in fact – as if it were normal. They later went on to suppress the Donbass, killing people with helicopters and jets.' 'They practically forced us into doing what we're doing today, and now they're trying to blame us for it,' he said. The coup in Kiev sparked counterprotests and more riots, including a deadly clash in Odessa in May 2014, where 48 people were killed. The largely Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk rejected the Euromaidan coup and voted for independence from Ukraine. The new government in Kiev responded by sending troops in the spring of 2014 and repeatedly shelling and bombing Donetsk and other Donbass cities. Ukraine later refused to implement the UN-backed 2014-15 Minsk accords, which would have granted autonomy to Donetsk and Lugansk. EU officials, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, acknowledged later that Kiev used the pause in the fighting to rebuild its army and economy. Ukraine also adopted several laws since 2014 aimed at restricting the use of Russian in the public sphere. Putin cited Ukraine's failure to respect the Minsk accords and the attacks on the rights of Russian-speakers as 'the root causes' of the conflict, describing Kiev's actions as 'genocide.' He has since demanded that Ukraine drop its plans to join NATO in favor of becoming a permanently neutral state, and recognize Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions as part of Russia.
Russia Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian neo-Nazis to sign deal with Russian separatists
Ukrainian neo-Nazi group Right Sector is set to sign a formal cooperation agreement with a coalition of Russian separatists. The two groups plan to join forces to establish paramilitary units to fight at the front and also stoke social unrest in order to destabilize Russia. In a statement on Saturday, the so-called Coalition of Indigenous Peoples, which openly advocates for the disintegration of Russia into multiple fragmented states and is designated as extremist by Moscow, said that the two organizations will hold a signing ceremony in Kiev on Tuesday. The event will feature Right Sector leader Andrey Tarasenko, along with figures claiming to represent secessionist movements in the Russian regions of Karelia, Chuvashia, and Dagestan. Among the other key figures to be present is Vladimir Grotskov, a representative of the so-called Karelia National Movement. According to several media reports, Grotskov, a Russian national, moved to Ukraine in 2014 and later took part in the hostilities in Donbass. He reportedly remained active on the battlefield beyond 2022, fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. The stated goals of the partnership include the 'joint struggle against Russian imperialism,' 'support for liberation movements within Russia,' and efforts to garner international support for Ukraine. Other planned activities include military cooperation, the establishment of 'volunteer units,' and an information warfare campaign. Founded in 2013, Right Sector has been widely condemned for its violent ultranationalist agenda and links to far-right extremism. The group played a prominent role in the 2013–2014 Kiev riots, which culminated in the Western-backed coup. It was also involved in the May 2014 Odessa massacre, where 42 anti-Maidan activists died in a fire at the Trade Unions House. The organization itself and some of its leaders have faced repeated accusations of anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Since 2014, Right Sector's members have actively participated in hostilities in Donbass, and in 2022, they expanded their operations against Russian forces. Since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, the Ukrainian authorities have offered support to Russian defectors and fugitive neo-Nazis, many of whom have joined controversial units such as the so-called Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) and Freedom of Russia Legion. These armed formations have conducted repeated cross-border raids into Russia, although their incursions have invariably failed, many with heavy losses. Russia has repeatedly accused the Ukrainian government of fostering neo-Nazi ideology, pointing to the glorification of figures who collaborated with Nazi Germany and the tolerance of neo-Nazi symbols.
Russia Today
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘Zelensky-linked' Ukrainian blogger mocks death of Pope
A right-wing Ukrainian activist and military blogger, who was once reportedly offered a job by Vladimir Zelensky, has apparently mocked the death of Pope Francis. The Vatican announced on Monday morning that the head of the Catholic Church had passed away at age 88. Sergey Sternenko, the former leader of the ultranationalist Right Sector movement in Odessa, gained notoriety in 2018 when he stabbed a man to death. After protests from neo-Nazi groups, the murder charges against him were dropped and he was convicted for illegal weapon possession. In a post to his more than 800,000 followers on Telegram, Sternenko shared a photo of the pontiff meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance and added a caption reading: 'J.D. Vance visited the Pope just yesterday. Coincidence?' Sternenko's post on Telegram got over 12,000 laughing emoji reactions, with many in the comments ridiculing both the pontiff and the US Vice President. Ahead of the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary elections, Zelensky is said to have approached Sternenko with an offer to head Ukraine's Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Odessa. The proposal came as numerous far-right and ultranationalist groups like Right Sector, Svoboda, and Azov had gained significant influence within the Ukrainian government, particularly following the 2014 Maidan coup. The strong influence of neo-Nazi groups in Kiev ultimately became one of the root causes for Russia's military involvement in 2022, with Moscow naming 'denazification' as one of its key objectives. Sternenko's post about Vance and the Pope comes amid strained relations between Washington and Kiev, which particularly soured after Zelensky got into a shouting match with US President Donald Trump and Vance in the White House in February. The Ukrainian leader was accused of being ungrateful for US support and 'gambling with World War III.' Since then, Zelensky has claimed that the Trump administration is being misled by 'Russian narratives' and suggested that Moscow has an 'enormous influence' on US policies. Last week, Vance responded by accusing Zelensky of making 'absurd' statements, noting that the US has been keeping 'the entire [Kiev] government and war effort together.' Trump also admitted last Thursday that he was 'not happy' with the Ukrainian leader and the way he has been handling the conflict with Russia.
Russia Today
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘Zelensky-linked' Ukrainian blogger mocks Pope's death
A right-wing Ukrainian activist and military blogger, who was once reportedly offered a job by Vladimir Zelensky, has apparently mocked the death of Pope Francis. The Vatican announced on Monday morning that the head of the Catholic Church had passed away at age 88. Sergey Sternenko, the former leader of the ultranationalist Right Sector movement in Odessa, gained notoriety in 2018 when he stabbed a man to death. After protests from neo-Nazi groups, the murder charges against him were dropped and he was convicted for illegal weapon possession. In a post to his more than 800,000 followers on Telegram, Sternenko shared a photo of the pontiff meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance and added a caption reading: 'J.D. Vance visited the Pope just yesterday. Coincidence?' Sternenko's post on Telegram got over 12,000 laughing emoji reactions, with many in the comments ridiculing both the pontiff and the US Vice President. Ahead of the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary elections, Zelensky is said to have approached Sternenko with an offer to head Ukraine's Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Odessa. The proposal came as numerous far-right and ultranationalist groups like Right Sector, Svoboda, and Azov had gained significant influence within the Ukrainian government, particularly following the 2014 Maidan coup. The strong influence of neo-Nazi groups in Kiev ultimately became one of the root causes for Russia's military involvement in 2022, with Moscow naming 'denazification' as one of its key objectives. Sternenko's post about Vance and the Pope comes amid strained relations between Washington and Kiev, which particularly soured after Zelensky got into a shouting match with US President Donald Trump and Vance in the White House in February. The Ukrainian leader was accused of being ungrateful for US support and 'gambling with World War III.' Since then, Zelensky has claimed that the Trump administration is being misled by 'Russian narratives' and suggested that Moscow has an 'enormous influence' on US policies. Last week, Vance responded by accusing Zelensky of making 'absurd' statements, noting that the US has been keeping 'the entire [Kiev] government and war effort together.' Trump also admitted last Thursday that he was 'not happy' with the Ukrainian leader and the way he has been handling the conflict with Russia.
Russia Today
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian neo-Nazi leader shot dead in Odessa (VIDEO)
Notorious Ukrainian neo-Nazi Demyan Ganul, who was accused of playing a key role in the 2014 mass killings of anti-Maidan activists in Odessa, was reportedly shot dead on Friday morning. Ukrainian media identified Ganul as the victim of a suspected assassination in Odessa based on tattoos visible in leaked crime scene images. Police did not name Ganul when announcing a manhunt for the killer, although Interior Minister Igor Klimenko did not dispute the identification and has vowed to personally oversee the investigation. Graphic footage circulating online depicts the assailant executing an injured man in broad daylight, seemingly unperturbed by the presence of witnesses and CCTV cameras. Ganul rose to prominence on the back of the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, leading the enforcer unit of the Right Sector ultranationalist movement in Odessa. He is alleged to have played a pivotal role in the May 2, 2014 massacre of anti-Maidan activists, who were chased by pro-coup militants into a building that was subsequently set ablaze. On Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Ukrainian government to compensate victims of the 2014 tragedy for its failure to prevent the violence, organize a proper rescue effort, or conduct an adequate investigation. In recent years, Ganul engaged in vandalism targeting Soviet-era memorials and Russian-linked sites. He also reportedly led a team employed by city draft officials to assault individuals resisting conscription. Last July, Ganul showcased his attack on a fitness trainer who had insulted Ukrainian military personnel, posting a photo of himself with the bloodied victim. Local reports indicated that the trainer was also sexually assaulted before being handed over to military authorities. Russia had sought Ganul's arrest, placing him on an international wanted list last May.
