Thread by @kooleksiy

Russian emigre neo-Nazi Skachkov - arrested in Ukraine, held by the court over his suspected role in a network of admirers of the Christchurch shooter Tarrant - NETWORKED WITH EUROPEAN far right in Ukraine's Uzhhorod in 2019, and more: Photos posted on social media suggest.THREAD

Photos place Skachkov at April 2019 far-right networking event Radical Alliance/ Sword of Europe in Uzhhorod. Per participants, the event brought together groups from Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia. In one photo Skachkov is next to "Legio Hungaria" activists.

Photos on social media also show Skachkov with: an activist of Ukraine's far-right National Corps party; leaders of Russian emigre far right in Ukraine; individual ostensibly linked to Russian neo-Nazi workout/MMA group "Father Frost Mode".

The court ruled on Friday to hold Skachkov who was arrested earlier by @ServiceSsu [background: vice.com/en_ca/article/…]. Per SSU, Skachkov led a Tarrant-inspired cell that "published and spread extremist literature". SSU investigation is into "incitement of terror attacks".

The arrest is in connection to the "Tarrant's Lads" Telegram channel in Ukraine that sells printed copies of Christchurch shooter's manifesto and has published death threats to me, other reporters who covered the far right in Ukraine bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-eu…

Despite the arrest, the Telegram in question continues to operate. Although it downplayed the role of Skachkov, saying he "wasn't part of our editorial team", it also stated support for him and writes about new developments in the case.

In Ukraine, Skachkov was part of the OUN volunteer battalion. That's according to the leader of the said battalion Mikola Kokhanivsky (first photo), who has stated support for Skachkov online. This is an important link.

In his social media post about Skachkov, his former commander Mikola Kokhanivsky said that Skachkov is put on trial because he is "a volunteer and a nationalist", and downplayed the allegations that Skachkov disseminated neo-Nazi content online.

But there's a reason to wonder if OUN's commander may know more about the Tarrant manifesto disseminating operation that Skachkov, according to Ukraine's Secret Service, is part of.

In March 2019 when "Tarrant's lads" channel had measly 72 subscribers (as opposed to 2600+ now ) OUN's commander Kokhanivsky shared a link to it on his social media. This matters, because it may suggest that Kokhanivsky was among those exposed to/aware of the channel early on.

Now that a person linked to Kokhanivsky is accused of running the cell behind the Telegram that sells Tarrant's manifesto, there may be a good reason to ask Kokhanivsky how exactly he was exposed to then-nascent neo-Nazi media in early 2019.

Skachkov isn't the only apparent tie between OUN and Tarrant's manifesto publishing ring. Per media reports, law enforcement also arrested (apparently he was set free later?) Ihor Pavlov AKA Les Cherniak who was among right-wingers supported by OUN several years ago.

Over the years Skachkov, the suspected leader of Tarrant's manifesto publishing ring, showed up in photos with some known far-right figures in Ukraine. IT MATTERS because it suggests that Skachkov is FAR FROM being a foreign element with regard to the Ukrainian far-right scene.

For example, in this photo posted online in 2017 Skachkov is with a long-time activist of far-right "National Corps" who goes online by Makar "Wotanov"/Makarov Artyom. Recognizable by tattoos he's seen in reports published on National Corps site as recently as June 2020, &earlier

"Wotanov" is also seen in a recent video where he describes himself as "a representative of the National Corps" in the Kyiv region and apparently names the city where he lives/works. He is apparently linked with the neo-Nazi "Militant Zone" label.

Ties between National Corps' "Wotanov" and suspected leader of the Tarrant-inspired operation can be ongoing. "Wotanov" posted on Instagram that Skachkov fought for Ukraine and was wounded, adding that "literature" Skachkov allegedly sold "hasn't been banned by anyone".

But 2017 photo of Skachkov with "Wotanov" mentioned earlier is also remarkable for the presence of an individual ostensibly linked to Russia's popular far-right workout & MMA group "Father Frost Mode" (По программе Дедушки Мороза).

Findclone search suggests that the individual next to "Wotanov" and Skachkov is the same person (Topilin Dmitriy?) that also appeared in photos with the Russian "Father Frost Mode" group. FFM operates openly in Russia (it may suggest cooperation with Kremlin), NETWORKS in Europe.

Another remarkable individual seen in a number of photos with Skachkov is Ivan Mikheev, an emigre Russian right-winger in Ukraine who has cooperated with the Azov movement, including an appearance at Pact of Steel II event in 2017 ()

Skachkov was also part of the April 2019 Radical Alliance/Sword of Europe event in Uzhhorod, Ukraine that brought together European far-right groups. Photos discovered by @ColborneMichael show Skachkov next to "Legio Hungaria" activists, leaders of Russian far right in Ukraine.

Radical Alliance/Sword of Europe event attended by Skachkov in April 2019 was organized by Ukraine's militant far-right group "Karpatska Sich", one of several internationally active far-right organizations in Ukraine. For more on the event check: 

https://twitter.com/kooleksiy/status/1140130596733227010

Notably, photos of Skachkov at Radical Alliance/Sword of Europe event are part of the official report from the event by "Russian Center', a group that represents emigre anti-Putin right-wingers in Ukraine archive.md/0U1mL

Seen next to Skachkov in these photos are the aforementioned Mikheev and Denis Vikhorev (second from the left in the Pushkin photo). The latter is the coordinator of the Russian center and spoke in April 2019 at the  Radical Alliance/Sword of Europe.

It should be noted that Ukraine-based "Russian Center" issued a statement on Telegram regarding Skachkov's arrest, suggesting that it was a Russian provocation. "Russian Center" has been posting about the case.

As a CONCLUSION: Some evidence suggests that Russian neo-Nazi Skachkov was well-integrated into the Ukrainian far-right mix for years and could network internationally while in Ukraine.

Ukraine's decision to welcome Russian anti-Putin neo-Nazis is NOT without consequences.