Training Ukrainian Neo-Nazis

"The Ukrainian military's failure to check Centuria activities suggests a level of tolerance on its part for the apparent proliferation of far-right ideology and influence within the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

George Washington University study

"[We support] right patriots, nationalists, conservatives and Christians currently defending the streets of Kyiv from perverts from the LGBT movement and their left-liberal sympathizers."

Centuria statement

"The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are strongly opposed to the glorification of Nazism and all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, intolerance and extremism."

Lt.-Cmdr.Julie McDonald, spokeswoman, Canadian Armed Forces

"Clearly Canada has a responsibility when it comes to who it trains."

"It's not good enough just to leave it to the Ukrainians. The end result is the fact that Canadian troops may have trained Ukrainian Neo-Nazis."

Bernie Farber, head, Canadian Anti-Hate Network

A new report from an American university says far-right extremists in Ukraine’s military have bragged they received training from the Canadian Forces and other NATO nations. Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV /GETTY

A newly-released study from an institute within George Washington University in Washington, D.C tracked social media accounts of the Centuria far-right group, revealing that the extremists brag of having received military training from the Canadian Forces, along with other NATO-aligned national militaries. The study documented members of the Ukrainian military giving Nazi salutes, promoting white nationalism, and giving praise to members of Nazi SS units.

Active since 2018 at the Hetman Petro Sahaidachny National Army Academy, the far-right group has ensconced itself in the country's military through the country's premier education institute, which is also a major hub for assistance from western military sources in the country, Canada included, according to the report from George Washington University's Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Through social media, members of Centuria revealed their training from the Canadian military along with participation in military exercises with Canada. Centuria organizers informed their following that their members served as officers in Ukraine's military, and "have succeeded in establishing co-operation with foreign colleagues from such countries as France, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Germany and Poland", reports the Institute.

At the United Kingdom's royal Military Academy Sandhurst, one group member graduated in 2020 after receiving officer training, while another Centuria member in 2019 attended the German Army Officer Academy in Dresden. Centuria publicly supported a rally held by Ukrainian far-right groups in countering the "Kyiv Pride" LGBTQ event.

The National Army Academy, in communication with the university researchers denied Centuria operated within its ranks, noting it has no tolerance for extremism in denial of the report's photographs of NAA cadets giving Nazi salutes and promoting far-right materials. The United Jewish Community of Ukraine accused a NAA cadet of acting as a firearms instructor for a far-right group, and of spreading viral anti-Semitic propaganda.

Lt.-Cmdr McDonald of the Canadian Forces explained that it doesn't perform background checks on those assigned to train with its forces from abroad; its expectation is that Ukraine would check its own security forces' allegiances. Should Canadian military personnel, on the other hand, view first-hand any evidence of extremism,they would refuse training for those involved. They do not actively search out signs of support for far-right causes.

The university researchers were informed by Ukraine's Ministry of Defence that neither does it screen those entering the military or military cadets for extremist views and ties, stating concerns about Centuria were baseless; there was no such organization. In 2015 when Canada as part of NATO facing down Russian expansionism in Ukraine, sent troops to the area, concerns relating to such training were raised when Canadian military leaders discussed how they might avoid training extremists.

They decided to stipulate that only Ukrainian National Guard and army units would be trained not including any of the ad hoc militias that had appeared at that time in the country. One Canadian Member of Parliament had warned of the integration of far-right groups into the military and that being the case it would be difficult to identify extremists with a view to eliminating their presence during training sessions. 

The ultra-nationalist Azov Battalion movement with its links to the far right and Neo Nazis was the subject in 2018 of the U.S. Congress banning the use of U.S. funds to provide arms, training and other aid to them. At the same time, Centuria has firm ties to the Azov movement.

A new report from an American university says far-right extremists in Ukraine’s military have bragged they received training from the Canadian Forces and other NATO nations. Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV /AFP/Getty Images