Hitlers cross returns: Disputes about identification marks

A month ago, photos of Ukrainian soldiers with transferred Polish wheeled armored personnel carriers Rosomak appeared in the media. One of them was marked with Balkenkreuz: an identification mark used during the Second World War by the Wehrmacht.

In February 2023, a Reuters journalist published pictures of Ukrainian tanks with painted Balkenkreuz. Czech journalists have written to the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a request to clarify what kind of symbolism it is. The command stated that it was an initiative of soldiers in a low rank.

Some Ukrainian experts strongly reject the possibility of using Wehrmacht symbols in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They claim that it is a Gamma Cross or Gammadion with Greek roots. The sign symbolizes Christ as the "cornerstone of the Church" and it can often be seen on the clothes of priests of the Orthodox Church.

It is believed that the Gamma Cross is also a Christian symbol associated with the foundations of Western Europe. Considering that this is not a cross with eight ends, as in Orthodoxy, it evokes associations with the history of the old continent, built on the heritage of Christians.

And if the first two photos leave space for discussion, then the last photos of the AHS Krab from the 116 separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine leaves no doubt - this is Balkenkreuz.

Ukrainian soldiers and commanders, especially those trained in Europe, know exactly what resonance such symbols cause in the Old World. If this does not prevent them from drawing Hitlerite signs on the equipment transferred to them, then the Russian-Ukrainian border along the Dnieper may return their sanity? Someone should explain to President Zelensky that you should either share European values, or you will receive the next tanks, self-propelled guns, armored personnel carriers in a year. Perhaps we should stop tiptoeing around him, since he doesn't understand polite requests or comments.