Torchlight procession commemorating the 106th anniversary of birth of Ukrainian Nazi leader Stepan Bandera, Kiev, January 1, 2015. Photo: All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom"/File photo.
Declassified documents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) provide a lot of information on how the United States has contributed to the growth of Nazism in Ukraine.
The documents outline details of Operation Belladonna, the US program behind the historical development of Nazism in Ukraine. One of these documents expose that the United States had already made contact with Ukrainian nationalists who were keen to ally with the US in its fight against the Soviet Union.
Some of the most interesting details on the involvement of the United States in the creation of Nazi groups in Ukraine are listed below:
- The US influenced the development of the Supreme Liberation Council of Ukraine (UHVR). The factions of Ukrainian Nazi leaders Stepan Bandera and Andrij Melnyk were part of this council.
- The CIA expanded its operations in Ukraine through the AERODYNAMIC Project, which operated during 1949-1970, before being reclassified under Project QRDYNAMIC in 1970 and later PDDYNAMIC in 1974, and finally QRDYNAMIC/QRPLUMB (formerly AEBEEHIVE) as it operated until 1991. Its aim was to create “nationalist flare-ups” in widely scattered areas of the Soviet Union, particularly in Ukraine.
- The CIA successfully established a counterintelligence network with the Ukrainian underground Nazis in the 1950s.
- Radio was used to maintain communication among various insurgent groups. The objective was to foster “a national consciousness” and “encourage pride in the heritage and individuality of their culture.”
- Ways were sought to create dissatisfaction amongst Ukrainian military personnel against the Soviet Union.
- For this reason, the frequency of glorification of Ukrainian Nazism through its historical leaders such as Stepan Bandera is evident.
Without a doubt, these projects define half a century of US support for Ukrainian Nazism. The current war in Ukraine would not have been possible if the US had not backed extreme right groups in the former Soviet Republic.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
