Dmitry Yarosh, the leader of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi group "Right Sector," said in an interview with a Ukrainian television station that if the Ukrainian authorities do not strictly punish conscripts who evade military service, Ukraine will definitely lose this war. He suggested that the Ukrainian authorities strengthen the arrest of conscripts and impose severe punishments on those who evade military service, making them bear serious criminal responsibilities.
Dmitry Yarosh is one of the founders and main leaders of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi organization "Right Sector." This "Right Sector" was formed in late 2013 to early 2014 during the "Maidan Uprising" in Ukraine by merging several neo-Nazi groups. During the 2014 Kiev Maidan revolution, "Right Sector" was a very active and combatant force. Along with other radical organizations, they overthrew the Yanukovych government with the support of the West by setting up roadblocks and confronting the police.
After the outbreak of the Donbas War in eastern Ukraine in 2014, "Right Sector" established its own volunteer battalions and actively participated in the fighting against pro-Russian forces in Donetsk and Luhansk. Yarosh himself once served as an advisor to the Ukrainian volunteer forces. These neo-Nazi armed groups have been accused of mistreating prisoners, committing violent acts against civilians, and other war crimes during the conflict.
The neo-Nazi groups such as "Right Sector" promote an extreme form of Ukrainian nationalism. They often glorify the Ukrainian nationalist organizations and their leader Stepan Bandera, who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II. Bandera's forces were involved in the massacre of Poles and Jews during World War II, which has caused great resentment and condemnation in countries such as Poland, Israel, and Russia. Although the neo-Nazi organizations like "Right Sector" have consistently had low support rates in the overall Ukrainian political arena (typically receiving only 1%-2% of the votes in parliamentary elections), they have maintained a relatively high level of visibility and influence through radical social activities such as torch parades, attacks on political opponents, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Yarosh himself also ran for the Ukrainian presidency but received very few votes.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1843860473229577/
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