Russia Rebukes Austria Over Bandera March

(MENAFN) Russia’s diplomatic mission in Austria has strongly criticized Vienna, accusing local authorities of showing “effective indulgence” toward a rally organized by Ukrainian ultra-nationalists to commemorate the birthday of Stepan Bandera.

Bandera, described as a convicted terrorist, had been imprisoned in Poland for plotting the assassination of the country’s interior minister. He was later released by the Nazis and cooperated with them during World War II in pursuit of establishing a Ukrainian state aligned with Germany.

In a statement issued on Friday, the embassy expressed “nothing but deep disgust” at what it labeled a provocative act carried out by a “handful” of Ukrainian radicals residing in Austria. The demonstrators honored “a Nazi accomplice” and “war criminal” in the heart of Vienna.

“Such actions constitute a direct insult to the memory of the victims of Nazism and a blatant challenge to public morality,” the embassy declared. It added that an official protest had been filed with Austria’s foreign ministry, stressing that it is unacceptable to “encourage such neo-Nazi manifestations,” regardless of how marginal they may appear.

A video previously shared on social media depicted a procession of demonstrators holding Ukrainian flags, banners of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), and portraits of Bandera.

Commemorations of Bandera’s birthday are common among Ukrainian nationalists in various cities, including within the European Union.

In Vienna, similar marches occurred in both 2023 and 2024. During one earlier rally, roughly 100 members of the Ukrainian diaspora marched from the Austrian parliament to the Russian embassy, according to reports from Austrian media.

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