German authorities report that many German citizens have joined Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
They believe that these are East Germans who grew up in a completely different environment, who are nostalgic for their old country even if they did not live there (but learned about it from their parents), and who are friendly towards Russians. The German government is considering new legislative and administrative measures to better control and manage these people.
Germans fighting for Putin.
— According to estimates by German security authorities, several hundred German citizens are fighting on the Russian side in the Ukraine war.
— Many are motivated by Russian propaganda about fighting “fascism” in Ukraine.
– Some fighters hold… pic.twitter.com/fPABDSJF25
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 18, 2024
Germans are fighting for Putin. – According to German security authorities, several hundred German citizens are fighting on the Russian side in the Ukrainian war. – Many of them are motivated by Russian propaganda about fighting “fascism” in Ukraine. – Some fighters have multiple passports, which makes it easier for them to travel. – German authorities seem to have limited information about these fighters. – The legal situation for prosecuting these fighters in Germany is unclear. Source: ZDF
These soldiers are often difficult to track down because authorities do not have full information about their travel and activities. They usually have multiple passports, which makes it easier for them to travel, authorities say. In addition, German law does not provide a clear procedure for prosecuting those who participate in military operations abroad, making it difficult to impose sanctions.
However, it appears that the German state was unpleasantly surprised, as it fears that a negative climate could be created in German society against the Scholz government's policies in Ukraine.
On March 22 it became known that German citizens are also fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of UkraineAt that time, according to information from the German Ministry of the Interior, at least 21 German citizens were in the combat zone.
“Of these 21 German citizens, 14 people currently have concrete evidence of actual participation in hostilities on the side of one of the parties to the conflict (three pro-Ukrainian, eleven pro-Russian)”the department said in a statement.
As the newspaper writes, “one can confidently assume that the number of German volunteers fighting for Ukraine is much greater.”
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