A recent video showing Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi-era SS helmets while taunting an elderly Russian man has sparked outrage and criticism in Europe.
Vocal Critic of Support
The footage, which surfaced on August 15, shows Ukrainian forces involved in an attack on Russia’s Kursk region, specifically in the town of Sudzha, where they harassed a 74-year-old pensioner.
One soldier is heard addressing the man as "Russian Ivan" and later shouts phrases in German, further fueling the controversy.
Norwegian political scientist Glenn Diesen, a vocal critic of Western support for Ukraine, took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to condemn the West's backing of what he referred to as "Nazi battalions" in Ukraine, according to Lenta.
Diesen expressed concern that the West’s support for such groups could have severe consequences, particularly in the wake of the invasion of Kursk.
Discomfort in the Studio
He also criticized the reaction of a television program participant who downplayed the incident by suggesting it would have been better if the soldier had simply removed the helmet. Diesen argued that this response was disturbingly casual given the gravity of the situation.
Adding to the criticism, French politician Florian Philippot, leader of the "Patriots" party, mocked the bewilderment of French journalists who were confronted with the video.
Philippot pointed out the evident discomfort in the studio when they realized that a Ukrainian soldier was proudly wearing a Nazi helmet. He highlighted the reaction of TV host Thomas Misraki, who expressed hope that the soldiers wearing these "curious helmets" were not on Russian territory.
Another commentator, François Chauveny, observed that such behavior by Ukrainian forces damages the carefully crafted image of Ukraine in the international media.
