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| Misanthropic Division | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Emblem of the Misanthropic Division | |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Size | 500–600 (2016) |
| Nickname | Division Phoenix |
| Motto | "Töten für Wotan" (Killing for Odin) |
| Engagements | Euromaidan War in Donbas Russian Invasion of Ukraine |
| Website | http://misanthropicdivision.com/ |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
TheMisanthropic Division (Ukrainian:Мізантропік Дівіжн,romanized: Mizantropik divizhn), also known asDivision Phoenix since 2016,[1] is an internationalneo-Nazi group based in Ukraine which has been described as a paramilitary organization,[2] or as a movement.[1][3] They originated in 2014 to take part in theEuromaidan protests against the government ofViktor Yanukovych, with some members later fighting alongside theAzov Battalion andUAF in theDonbas region againstRussian-backed separatists. Chapters of the group have also been reported to exist in other countries.[1][4] According to researcher Natalia Yudina, it is not a centralized organization, and it has neither a rigid structure nor permanent leaders.[4]
According toStanford University's Mapping Militants Project, the group had disavowed militant activities by 2021 but remained active on social media.[2] As of 2022 the status of the group is unclear, according toThe Intercept, which states "It's hard to tell how real it is, and how sizeable."[5]
The group formally originated on 31 October 2014 inKyiv to participate in the Revolution of Dignity protests under the auspices of theSocial-National Assembly, although it had already started to organize by 2013. While they participated in the1 December 2013 Revolution of Dignity riots in Kyiv city, they simultaneously took part in conflicts inKharkiv andOdesa. During theunrest in Kharkiv in 2014, which escalated into armed clashes, they claimed responsibility for the killing of two pro-Russian opponents.[1][6][7] TheKyiv Post reported in 2015 that the Misanthropic Division had been created as an informal group by Russian fighters serving in theRight Sector's military unit.[8]
After the war began in eastern Ukraine, some members of the group participated on the Ukrainian side, the group having ties to the Azov Battalion.[1] In October 2016, people claiming to belong to the group claimed responsibility for the killing of separatistSpartan Battalion leaderArsen Pavlov, in a video released fromDonetsk Oblast.[9][10] However, the leadership of the group denied responsibility and accused a man by the name of Dima Kravtsov, a member of theChernihiv Company [uk], of faking the video.[11][12]
After the beginning of the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Misanthropic Division advertised on Telegram for foreign volunteers to join them "for victory andValhalla".[13]The Intercept reported that the UkrainianInternational Legion mourned a combat casualty on Facebook of a French volunteer who appeared to be connected to the Misanthropic Division, who was also mourned by the Misanthropic Division Telegram channel.[5] In reporting thisThe Intercept detailed a number of uncertainties about the current nature of the Misanthropic Division – including the extent of its association with the Azov regiment, its size, and "how real it is". The author wrote "It may be that the Misanthropic Division is not a real-world unit with a leader and a chain of command so much as a twisted military clique that anyone online can claim".[5]
Ukrainian news siteZaxid.net claimed in 2016 that the Misanthropic Division possesses around 500–600 supporters in Ukraine, about 1/3 of whom were actively participating in combat in Donbas.[14] The group has also developed branches in several other countries, including Germany,Czech Republic, Spain,Portugal, the United States, andBelarus.[4]
Inside Ukraine, as of 2016 there are ties with theAzov Regiment, but relations with theRight Sector have decayed over time, with the Misanthropic division accusing them of "Jewish collaborationism".[1]Euromaidan Press reports that they have also criticized them for acceptingCrimean Tatars, which they declare to be "racially alien elements" to Ukraine.[1] They have additionally maintained close connections to other far-right organizations globally, including the GermanThird Way party, the ItalianCasaPound, and the BritishNational Action.[15][16][17]
According to Russian think tank theSOVA Center, in early 2016 the group announced its termination, but then later in August it announced its revival. SOVA reported that by 2017 there were "several autonomous organizations and cells" behind the Misanthropic Division brand.[18]
The Misanthropic Division was classified by Russia as anextremist group in 2015, and in 2016 it was reported that a member of the group had been charged in Russia, and that searches were being conducted on other members of the group.[19][20]
They have claimed responsibility for multiple clashes withLGBT activists in the city ofLviv.[21][better source needed]
In October 2019, a new political party named "Society for the Future" was created from the groupS14. According to the co-founder this party was a project of several groups from Ukraine, including "Phoenix".[22]
According to Stanford University's Mapping Militants Project, the Misanthropic Division is anihilistic neo-Nazi paramilitary organization with similar ideological views to the Azov movement.[2] According to the group's leadership, the end goal of the group is Ukraine's complete independence from both Russia and the European Union.[1][23] The group published a 14-point statement in 2015, stating that their goals were foremost the defense of Ukraine in theAnti-terrorist Operation Zone and the defense of theEuropean race, as well as promotingneo-Paganism and rejection ofAbrahamic belief.[24][unreliable source?] They have, however, also criticized certain neo-Pagan groups and movements for opposing all political violence.[25]