DISINFO: Ukrainian army flies Bandera and Wehrmacht flags
SUMMARY
During the days of Zelensky's visit, a black and red Bandera flag was waving over the Ukrainian positions next to the national one. And higher, at the dominant height, the banner of the Wehrmacht.
When the idea of the superiority of one's own nation becomes a key element of culture, and a cult of power is nurtured in society, followed by an acute desire to do a war, then what is called Nazism is born. All this is now evident in Ukraine. The parallels with Hitler's Nazism are clearly visible. For example, in the reportage that we just saw: the Nazi flag that was hoisted over the trenches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine immediately following the visit to the positions of the president, the supreme commander in chief Zelensky. And other examples are terrifying.
It is time for all of Ukraine's neighbors, both in the West and in the East, to understand: sooner or later, Ukraine will face denazification. The Nazification of Ukraine in recent years and decades has been carried out with the connivance and even approval of the so-called civilized part of humanity, and Berlin and Paris, Brussels and London guaranteed this process.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Nazis' rule in Ukraine, in order to justify the illegal Crimea annexation by Russia and to pretend that the Ukrainian Donbass is independently fighting against "Nazis rules". See more about Russia's involvement in the war in Donbass.
Pro-Kremlin media pretend that the Ukrainian black and red flag represents Nazism. In the reality, red and black are traditional ancient colors of Ukraine, reflected in lyrical songs on joy and sadness and also popular in Ukrainian art.
Historically, the red and black flag became popular among young people, in Western Ukraine, in the 1920s, when the Polish authorities did not tolerate the use of the national blue and yellow flag by Ukrainians. At that time, the footballers of the Ukraine Sports Association wore red and black uniforms, and their flag consisted of three stripes in red and black. In 2014 the red and black flag became one of the symbols of Euromaidan. Surprisingly, while even in Soviet time those colours were not forbidden and therefore not associated with Bandera, the disinformation campaign started, associating the flag with "Nazis", explains Radio Liberty.
The Ukrainian nationalist organization Right Sector (and previously OUN - Organization of Ukrainian nationalists), currently not present in Parliament, appropriated the colors, while adding the Ukrainian trident on their flag. The pro-Kremlin media presenter mixes up both simple red and black flag and the Right Sector's one.
As for the flag of the Wehrmacht, allegedly waving over the positions of the Ukrainian army, the filming is not original, taken from the external telegram channel, of poor quality and there is no evidence that this is by the Ukrainian army (time code 00:11:46). This is probably the reason why the presenter draws attention to "other outrageous examples", citing as an example the black-and-red flag, what Russian pro-Kremlin media consider as an irrefutable evidence of Ukrainian Nazism which is "supported" by Brussels, Washington etc.
See more disinformation cases on Nazis rule in Ukraine.