Ukraine appoints Right Sector leader to Military Staff

Since April 2014, Kiev has fought pro-Russian rebels in the east with a combination of regular military armed forces and independent paramilitary groups. The most notorious are affiliated with extreme-right and neo-fascist political groups, such as the Azov Battalion, the focus of Russian propaganda during the hottest periods of the Ukraine conflict. These paramilitary groups are not accountable to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and can therefore plan their own activities and policies, but they often operate in the name of Ukraine. Their independent status places Kiev in an awkward situation. Although the government is not involved in the decisions the groups make, the paramilitary groups’ alliance with the regular army ultimately leaves the state responsible for their actions. In a recent display of political strife, Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kholomoisky used his own paramilitaries to settle a state oil dispute. Recently, the Ukrainian government appointed Dmytro Yarosh, leader of Right Sector – a far right political group that rose to prominence during the Euromaidan protests – as an advisor to the Armed Forces’ Chief. Although he does not have decision-making power, his presence in the high ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces will guarantee his input. Yarosh ran for the Presidency of Ukraine in May 2014 and received 2 percent of the vote. His party failed to pass the threshold to join the Parliament, but he himself is an MP from his district. The lackluster success Right Sector has had in elections is a testament to its small appeal in broad Ukrainian society,  however, russian state media warned that the Yarosh’s rise exposes the neo-fascist tendencies endemic in Ukraine.

The appointment of a high-profile nationalist is representative of Kiev’s dilemma vis-à-vis volunteer military organizations. Right Sector was the last paramilitary group to submit to a government structure. The group’s military wing has now secured government funding and weapons, whereas before they had to rely on private sponsors and political supporters. This system allowed oligarchs and other private actors to gain influence in Kiev’s military campaign against the rebellion.

Now, however, the government has monopolized the field of military action, which bodes well for Kiev’s control over the ceasefire process and the armed forces in general. However, the Russians have voiced concern that the introduction of fascist and neo-Nazi elements into the Armed Forces could  push government policy into extremist territory. Following Yarosh’s appointment, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a resolution banning Communist and Nazi propaganda.

Due to a Russian petition, Dmytro Yarosh is on Interpol’s Wanted List for inciting terrorism and extremist actions. His notoriety has made him a focus of Russia’s media campaign against Ukraine’s post-Maidan government, and now there is clear evidence that Yarosh is not just a marginal outlier in Kiev. His appointment as advisor to the Chief of the Armed Forces makes him and his group more visible, and since the government and the Right Sector had to compromise to make this deal. Only time will tell how much influence Dmytro Yarosh will gain  in the Armed Forces, or if it’s all a publicity game and he holds no sway.