The reason why neo-nazis are fighting on both sides in Russia-Ukraine war is that it is the corporate ideology of mercenaries, a cult of war which they promote because war is their business. Lobbyists and spin doctors servicing their employers worked hard to make this war happen.
They tend to be quite ambivalent as to which side to fight as in the case of Aleksey “Fritz” Milchakov, the commander of Rusich, a properly neo-nazi part of Wagner. His best friend Roman “Zukhel” Zheleznov joined Azov and they remained friends thereafter.
The reason why a majority of Russian neo-nazis (as opposed to irredentist and imperialist nationalists) supported Ukraine in 2014 was Putin’s clampdown on the far right in the aftermath of Bolotnaya protests. For them, the choice was between Ukraine and lengthy prison sentences.
Illustrative of this is the story of two most prominent Russian neo-nazi figures. Sergey “Malyuta” Korotkikh fled to Ukraine and became the head of reconnaissance in Azov, then a battalion. He later grew into the “wallet” and the public face of Azov movement.
His best friend Maksim “Tesak” Martsinkevich was arrested and died in suspicious circumstances in a Russian prison. His lawyers said that he was badly tortured, mutilated. Malyuta is in the centre, Tesak on the right in this pic from better times. 
Korotkikh and Martsinkevich were together, renting a house in Cuba, when local security services arrested them both on Russian warrant in January 2014. Tesak was deported to Russia. Malyuta was released and escaped to Ukraine where he is now known as Botsman.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
