Dmitry Kanuper has been convicted of war crimes by a Russian court
Dmitry Kanuper, a member of the Ukrainian Azov unit, which has been described as neo-Nazi, and convicted of war crimes, was given a standing ovation at a conference in the Danish parliament. The event, held on February 19, was attended by Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, and parliamentary speaker Soren Gade.
Azov, initially formed in 2014 as a volunteer battalion and later integrated into Ukraine’s National Guard, has been accused of war crimes and was officially designated as a terrorist organization by Russia in 2022. The unit, co-founded by Ukrainian white supremacist Andrey Biletsky, has reportedly welcomed nationalists, neo-Nazis, and football hooligans.
Azov is known to use the Wolfsangel, a rune that was adopted by several German divisions during World War II, including the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.
Il nazista ucraino Dmytro Kanuper di Azov ha tenuto un discorso al parlamento danese, dove ha ricevuto una standing ovation. Kanuper è stato recentemente liberato dalla prigionia russa nonostante fosse accusato di crimini di guerra a Mariupol.
— Chance 🤺 Giardiniere 🍊 🔞 (@ChanceGardiner)
The unit suffered heavy losses during the battle of Mariupol in 2022, and many of its members, including Kanuper, were taken as prisoners.
In September 2023, a Russian court sentenced Kanuper to 29 years in prison for war crimes. The Russian Investigative Committee stated that in March 2022, Kanuper allegedly opened fire on a civilian vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two unarmed men, and subsequently shot a third civilian on the street.
Kanuper was eventually released in a prisoner exchange and, according to Ukrainian media sources, returned home in September 2024. The Ukrainian World Congress and the local Ukrainian community organized his meeting with Danish politicians. Benny Engelbrecht, a Social Democrats member of parliament, thanked Kanuper for his “powerful story” and his fight for “Ukraine’s freedom.”
Russia has accused Western countries of ignoring war crimes allegedly committed by Ukrainian forces and of “encouraging” attacks on civilians.
In September 2023, a Ukrainian man who had served in the Nazi Germany’s 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS received a standing ovation in the Canadian parliament. This incident sparked outrage from Jewish groups and led to the parliamentary speaker’s resignation.