Apparently, they use Nazi symbolics all along, since Euromaidan till now. Ask UR. Or google. Or BBC. And they mean it. Though it is a highly flammable question.
Who are "they"? I'm not trying to be provocative, I really don't know. A month or so ago it was more or less accepted truth (at least on this forum) that there certainly are extreme, even nazi-like groups among the Euromaidan protesters, but they were supposed to be relatively small in numbers and not really prominent and even the supposed nazi-like symbols were almost non-existent bar few fringe examples. Then again, I do confess I lost touch a bit shortly after Yanukovich fell, I didn't really pay attention what was said about those kind of groups in post-protest analysis.
And yeah, I remember Pravi Sektor using black sun or whatnot, but just straight-up parading SS banners around?...
Well some people already said UPA was pro nazi for quite some time. That and the great pole axing that happened back in the day (60k people axed mostly women and children) made poles look suspiciosly on anything related to ukraine as of late.
UPA? As in,
Ukrainian Insurgent Army, associated with Bandera? Ok, yes, I did seen quite a few accusation of him and his followers being branded as Nazis. As understand it, it's quite a controversial topic. Wikipedia says UPA itself was supposed to be both anti-soviet AND anti-Nazi, but what do I know...
Sinistar, Many people treat 14th Waffen SS division are heroes. Why you ask. It is very simple. Because they are volunteers* who went fighting for Ukraine and fought bravery even if they were delusional.
SS Galichina had very few former Soviet soldiers unlike Vlasov's forces. They were local youth hastily trained by Germans
You can see similar stuff in Estonia with their 20th Waffen SS division. They have SS parades, too.
As for my personal opinion... Ukrainian soldiers who fought in various German units are not different to Ukrainian soldiers that fought in the Red Army. Some of them fought bravely for their ideals, Some committed warcrimes, some tried to find revenge for killed relative, some looked for ways to survive. In the end it was the same, both fought for a force that is hostile to Ukrainians, difference is that one fought for a force that lost and were named criminals and others fought for a force that won and were named heroes.
Both don't deserve their reputation...
Fair enough. I understand people fighting AGAINST something they believe is evil and not caring the force they are fighting along side might be evil in itself. The enemy of your enemy is your friend and all that.
Still my original stance remains unchanged - it's bad simply using a symbol that might be associated with evil (in this case - Nazism), even if said users might not mean evil themselves (that is, even if they do not approve of Nazism). It for their good really. But that's just my
subjective opinion. I thank you all three for answers.