Bandera and the UPA: A Complex History That Russia Simplifies to 'Nazism'

Why This Matters

Russia uses Bandera’s name as the primary argument for the “denazification” of Ukraine. Putin routinely calls the Ukrainian government “Banderites” and “Nazis.” That is why it is essential to understand the real, complex history — rather than the propagandistic oversimplification.

Who Was Stepan Bandera

Stepan Bandera (1909–1959) was the leader of the radical wing of the OUN (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists).

Facts Russia Conceals

• June 30, 1941 — the OUN(b) proclaimed the “Act of Restoration of the Ukrainian State” in Lviv. The Nazis did not approve this act
• July 1941 — the Nazis arrested Bandera and sent him to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, where he remained until September 1944 — 3 years in a Nazi concentration camp
• Two of Bandera’s brothers — Oleksandr and Vasyl — perished in Auschwitz

The man Russia calls a “Nazi collaborator” was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp alongside other prisoners.

Facts That Require Honest Acknowledgment

• The OUN had an authoritarian ideology — integral nationalism
• Some OUN members participated in violence against Jews and Poles — including the Volhynia tragedy of 1943
• These crimes are real and documented — and Ukraine must honestly acknowledge them

What Was the UPA

The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA, 1942–1949) was an armed formation that waged a guerrilla campaign.

Who the UPA Fought Against

1. Against the Nazis (1943–1944) — after breaking with Germany, the UPA conducted military operations against the Wehrmacht and the SS
2. Against the USSR (1944–1949/1950s) — after the arrival of the Red Army, the UPA continued fighting as a partisan movement against Soviet occupation
3. Against Polish formations — in the context of the Ukrainian-Polish conflict

The Scale of the Fight Against the USSR

The UPA’s fight against the USSR lasted until the mid-1950s — making it one of the longest partisan movements in Europe:

• The NKVD/MGB conducted massive punitive operations against the UPA and the civilian population of Western Ukraine
• Over 200,000 residents of Western Ukraine were deported to Siberia for “supporting Banderites”
• The last UPA commander was killed in 1950; the last cells operated until 1956

Why Bandera Was Not a Nazi

The Kremlin’s formula “Bandera = Nazi” does not withstand scrutiny:

By Definition

Nazism is a specific ideology: racial supremacy of the “Aryan race,” antisemitism as state policy, subordination to Hitler. The OUN(b) adhered to integral nationalism — an authoritarian ideology, but not a Nazi one. Bandera sought an independent Ukraine — something the Nazis never intended.

By the Facts

• The Nazis did not recognize the Act of Restoration of the Ukrainian State (June 30, 1941)
• Bandera was arrested by the Nazis and sent to Sachsenhausen
• His brothers perished in Auschwitz
• The OUN and UPA fought against Nazi Germany from 1943 onward
• The Nazis classified Ukrainians as an inferior race — “Untermenschen”

The Comparison Russia Ignores

• Mannerheim (Finland) — fought alongside the Nazis against the USSR. Finns honor him — yet no one calls Finland “Nazi”
• De Gaulle (France) — some French collaborated with the Nazis (Vichy regime). No one calls France “Nazi”
• Vlasov (Russia) — a Russian general who defected to Hitler’s side with 100,000 soldiers (the ROA). Why is Russia “not Nazi,” despite having far more collaborators?

Does Ukraine “Worship” Bandera?

According to polls by KIIS (2022): only ~30% of Ukrainians view Bandera positively. This is not worship, but a complex societal debate. For comparison:

• Support for EU membership — over 80%
• Support for the Armed Forces — over 90%

The main symbols of modern Ukraine are the Armed Forces, volunteers, and Zelenskyy — not Bandera.

How Russia Oversimplifies

Kremlin propaganda reduces a complex history to the formula: “Bandera = Nazi = Ukraine = Nazi state.” This oversimplification ignores:

1. Bandera was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp
2. The UPA fought against the Nazis
3. Modern Ukraine is a democratic state where Bandera is a controversial historical figure, not a “state ideology”
4. The President of Ukraine is Jewish, and his grandfather fought against the Nazis
5. Far-right parties receive less than 3% of the vote — less than in France, Italy, or Germany
6. In Russia, far-right movements are far stronger — “Russian March,” “Wagner” (named after Hitler’s favorite composer), “Russian National Unity”

The Assassination of Bandera

October 15, 1959 — Bandera was killed by KGB agent Bohdan Stashynsky in Munich. Stashynsky used a special pistol loaded with cyanide. He later surrendered to West German police and was convicted.

This is a confirmed case of Soviet state terrorism — the assassination of a political emigrant on the territory of another country.

Conclusion

The history of Bandera and the UPA is complex and controversial. There is both heroism in the fight for independence and dark chapters that require honest acknowledgment. But using this complex history to justify a full-scale invasion of a democratic country with a Jewish president is a cynical manipulation, not a “fight against Nazism.”