Considering the lengths Stalin and the KGB went to try and not only kill Bandera but stamp out all of his followers, the guy must have been on to something. Please note: the soviets tried to smear every atrocity on Bandera. Recently released archives describe how the KGB would dress up as UPA (Bandera forces) and rape and pillage Ukrainian and Polish towns. I'm not saying Bandera's people were completely innocent (Bandera was imprisoned by the Germans throughout most of the war), let's try not to over-react on this one.

Western Ukraine, which was annexed by the USSR during the XX century, has a different History from Eastern Ukraine, united to Russia for centuries. So Russia has to get used to this new description of WWII History from the perspective of Ukrainian Natinalists who just looked anybody who would support them in their fight for Independence, exactly as Finland did. Finland also cooperated with Germany in WWII, as they thought Germany was a guarantee for their Independence against the USSR. Not just them, but also many in the Baltic states and Ukraine thought the same way. Western Ukrainians just say now openly what they had said for decades underground hidden from the Soviet Dictatorship. Western Ukraine has been for centuries close to Poland, Lithuania and the Catholic Church, even if keeping an strong Orthodox church too. If Western Ukrainians want to integrate completely in the West they have to do two things: integration of their church into the Catholic Church and adopting the Roman alphabet. Meanwhile, Eastern Ukraine, strongly russified, would keeep the Orthodox Church, the Cyrillic alphabet and an strong knowledge of the Russian language, which would be cooficial. Probably, in the midterm Eastern Ukraine would integrate into the Russian Federation as an autonomous Republic, if not all at leas the Donbas Republic (including Rostov) and Crimea...

"He fought Soviets and Germans at the same time for the freedom of Ukraine". Where did we hear this one before? We know. All collaborationists that are hoping to cash in on the anymosity towards Russia, are fond of this narrative. It was bad, bad Russia that made them do it. Rather transparent. The condemnation is weak and pretty much to preseve the form --- these former bad guys are now on the "right" side, so it won't do beating them up too much. History does come back as a farce.

Until I read this article, I did not know anything about Bandera. However, the article piqued my interest, and based on the premise that it may not have told the full story, I did some further research. Sure enough, I came across readily available details that are not found in this article. These include: (1) At the time when Moscow was collaborating with Nazi Germany in the carving up of Europe between the two, Bandera was collaborating with Hitler for the dividing up of the Soviet Union to allow a free Ukraine to emerge. (2) After the German attack on Russia, Hitler decided he had no use for the emergence of a Ukrainian state. Bandera was imprisoned by Nazis in Berlin, and thereafter transferred to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. (3) One of Bandera’s brothers died fighting the Nazis, Two other brothers died in Auschwitz. Bandera’s father was killed by Soviets during interrogation. His two sisters were sent by Soviets to Siberia, where one died. (4) Soviet authorities authorized Bandera’s assassination in absentia by the KGB. On 15 October he was found barely alive in Munich, suffering from cyanide poisoning, and died shortly afterwards. On November 17 1961 German authorities identified his murderer as KGB defector Bohdan Stashynsky, who acted on orders from the KGB. Throughout all this mayhem, equally divided between Soviet and German perpetrators and occasioned in both cases by Bandera’s commitment to a free Ukraine, the article echoes only the well-established Soviet line of discrediting Bandera: “Russian Jews have called the declaration of controversial nationalist leader Stepan Bandera a Hero of Ukraine ‘a provocation promoting the rehabilitation of Nazi crimes’ and ‘a challenge to the civilized world’.” It is not the civilized world that is being challenged, but Moscow’s historical actions in regard to Ukraine. It is not Nazi crimes that are sought to be rehabilitated, but Soviet crimes that are sought to be hidden.

Only a small number of Ukrainians`(western) fought on the side of Hitler , unlike other eastern European states, Ukrainians were heroes in WW2 and the biggest victims of Nazism, Ukrainians and Russians liberated the concentration camps were millions of people were waiting there death, i remember a Jew saying in an interview if it wasn't for them ,ME and the others in the camps would have been all dead.....

@Bohdan What nonsense you know that the Nazis then the CIA that supported these groups after WW2 and provided anti-Soviet propaganda like the one you just published who were given safe haven in the west after WW2 to use as guerrilla force against the USSR as part of CIA/MI6’s stay behind units to conduct guerrilla/terrorist operations @Marzipan6 1) Moscow never collaborated with the Nazis the MR pact was a non-aggression pact which Poland itself had previously signed with Germany with an agreement on a sphere of which they agreed on in case of war between Poland and Germany and the Polish government WW2 was a French/British aligned plan to make concessions and push Nazi Germany to war against the USSR. 2 and 3) Bandera was created by Nazi intelligence so why would Hitler eliminate him when they would need forces to occupy Ukraine sounds like CIA/MI6 propaganda. 4) Khrushchev the Trotskyite Communist who with other Trotskyites in the Soviet government conspired to overthrow the Stalin government and involved in industrial sabotage prior to WW2 and is the source behind much anti-Stalin propaganda who is a Ukrainian authorised the assassination of Bandera was conducting with terrorist operations in Ukrainian with British, German and US intelligence stay behind network. The Ukrainian nationalist fascist groups were as extreme perhaps more so than there Nazi counterparts. Due to comment limit I will publish there statement in a new comment

Everyone has the right to be outraged about anything they desire. It's a wonderful world when you can be outraged anytime you want to. Perhaps I will try to find something to get outraged about, but sorry, I cannot think of a single thing at this time. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Indeed everyone has the right to be enraged about whatever they want to be. But rage that is inconsistent with actual realities is not a characteristic of emotional health, and cannot possibly lead to good outcomes in the real world.

Ukraine has no reason to apologize for being a free democratic country a member of the free world. Stephan Bandera is a Hero of Ukraine and deserves being so because he gave his life fighting for an independent Ukraine. He lead UPA to fight both Hitler's German Nazis and Stalin's Communist NKVD butchers. Stephan was sent to a concentration camp for it fortunately, fate intervened for him although not for his two brothers who perished in Auschwitz. His father was murdered by the NKVD and both sisters sent to GULAGS where one died. Despite all this, Stephan and the UPA continued their fight for Ukraine well past the 50's and into 1960's without Stephan, who was assassinated by Moscow's KGB in Munich, Germany. There is nothing for Ukrainians to be ashamed of in their desire to have an independent Ukraine. As for her enemies the saying - 'he without sin cast the first stone' is certainly valid. Look into your own actions in history before you judge others!

According to the FEOR, “anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi” actions by the Ukrainian leadership have become rather common in recent years. They say Yushchenko’s decree signifies “disrespect to Soviet soldiers that his troops fought against and to all people who gave their lives in order to let today’s Europeans be free.” is absolute nonsense - Stalin mass murdered over 10 million innocent Ukrainian citizens - Stalin's soviet regime fought the Nazis not " to let today's Europeans be free" - what a lot of idiotic nonsense - soviets fought for one thing only - to preserve soviet communism, Stalin and the Kremlin. Soviet and Nazis both were the enemies of free and Independent Ukraine - I thought the Jewish community stood for freedom and Independence - I hope they do not continue to support Russian repression and hegemony of Ukraine

Each country is free to choose who their National heroes are. the fact that the Jewish comunity is out raged is just another way to supress peoples and nations to bend to their will. they infeltrate into politics and big co operations to fil the agenda of rulling the world tto their own interests. Russia and Ukrain lost more people in the second world war than the Whole of europe so the Jewish Holocost is but a myth copared to the lives lost in Russia and Ukrain. Has any one asked why the Jews are not wanted in any country I'll Give you a clueRead their Babylonian Talmud and learn what their religion Preaches and thenlets balance facism against their belif Just go you tube and write Talmud.

Teknik2010 wrote in #9

Ukraine has no reason to apologize for being a free democratic country a member of the free world. Stephan Bandera is a Hero of Ukraine and deserves being so because he gave his life fighting for an independent Ukraine. He lead UPA to fight both Hitler's German Nazis and Stalin's Communist NKVD butchers. Stephan was sent to a concentration camp for it fortunately, fate intervened for him although not for his two brothers who perished in Auschwitz. His father was murdered by the NKVD and both sisters sent to GULAGS where one died. Despite all this, Stephan and the UPA continued their fight for Ukraine well past the 50's and into 1960's without Stephan, who was assassinated by Moscow's KGB in Munich, Germany. There is nothing for Ukrainians to be ashamed of in their desire to have an independent Ukraine. As for her enemies the saying - 'he without sin cast the first stone' is certainly valid. Look into your own actions in history before you judge others!

Wait, wait. Teknik are you telling me that Ukraine is actually a nation? Really? Do you know that Ukrainian is merely a dialect of Russian and is a vestige of old Russian? Also the word Ukraine, orginated from the word "Okraina" meaning outskirts. After the establishment of Muscovy, the centre of power shifted farther and farther from Kiev, to Novgorod, to Muscovy. This resulted in Kiev and its territories from becoming the Outskirts of Russia. Therefore, it can be reasonably claimed that Russia was merely preserving order against insurgents, terrorists and seperatists. Imagine if Quebec of Canada attempted to seperate or Texas became a Republic. What if Canada or the US attempted to prevent seperation, would that then be a 'crime' as it infringed upon Texan autonomy? No it would be the preserving of order in a province of a country.