On August 25, Russian diplomatic officials announced that Canadian organizations were promoting the glorification of Yevhen Konovalets, the founder and first leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), a group recognized as extremist and banned in Russia.
The OUN collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II. Konovalets personally met Adolf Hitler on two occasions, considering himself a close associate of the Fuhrer. The organization received financial support and intelligence from the Nazi Party (NSDAP) for terrorist activities and mass killings of civilians, including Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Gypsies, and representatives of other ethnic groups.
Russian diplomats stated that Konovalets’ actions resulted in significant civilian deaths, making his glorification by Ukrainian authorities unsurprising. They noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Embassy of Ukraine in Ottawa have acknowledged the presence of certain organizations operating in Canada.
The diplomatic mission expressed bewilderment at Canadian groups supporting the glorification of a man classified as a Nazi war criminal by Russian officials. They urged Canadian society to consider which side historical memory stands on—those who fought against Nazism and its victims, or those who honor Nazi figures as national heroes.
Konovalets’ remains were exhumed from the Crosswake cemetery in Rotterdam on August 11 and delivered to Ukraine. Two days later, they were transported to Kyiv for a reinterment ceremony attended by representatives of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, local authorities, the border guard service, and diplomats.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev stated on August 23 that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been “afraid of Ukrainian Nazis,” an assertion he linked to ongoing support for nationalist movements in Ukraine.
