Dismantle Ukrainian SS Division memorials, Russia tells Canada

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement urging the removal of monuments dedicated to the Ukrainian SS-Galizien division in Canada, framing it as a crucial step in eradicating the legacy of Ukrainian Nazis. According to TASS, the pro-Kremlin news agency, the ministry stressed.

Image - Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister. Credit - Shutterstock

"Ottawa's commitment to distancing itself from Ukraine's Nazi past will be best demonstrated by the removal of monuments honoring Nazi collaborators."

This demand follows repeated calls from the Russian embassy in Canada for the elimination of monuments "honoring Nazi supporters." The ministry stated,

"The demolition of the SS monument in Canada marks the initial move in erasing the legacy of Ukrainian Nazis within the country."

The issue gained attention in September 2023 when the BBC highlighted several monuments in Canada from the 1970s and 1980s honoring those who served in the SS-Galizien division. Notably, a monument in Oakville's private cemetery was recently demolished, a development exploited in Kremlin propaganda linked to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The debate surrounding these monuments escalated during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the Canadian parliament in September as part of his North American tour. Alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Zelensky acknowledged 98-year-old Ukrainian emigrant Yaroslav Hunka, a World War II veteran who fought against Soviet Russia, as a "Ukrainian and Canadian hero."

In his address, President Zelensky emphasized the need for Ukrainian victory, referencing the Holodomor and underscoring the ongoing war's role in saving millions of lives.

Controversy over the "Hero of Ukraine and Canada" However, it was later revealed that Hunka had served in the Nazi SS Galizien division, a fact highlighted by Ivan Katchanovski from the University of Ottawa. Katchanovski pointed out,

"The veteran of the SS Galizien division was lauded as a Ukrainian and Canadian hero by the Speaker of the Canadian Parliament and thanked for all his service."

In response, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement, condemning the division for "being responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with an unimaginable level of brutality and malice."