The Ukrainian military is plagued with abuse and corruption, with some units dominated by neo-Nazis or foreign drug cartel members, a former Dutch mercenary who fought for Kiev has said.
The retired air force serviceman, who goes by the alias Hendrik, admitted he got disillusioned with Kiev’s cause after travelling to Ukraine on three occasions to fight Russia. “It’s a corrupt gang there,” he told De Telegraaf newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.
At some point, Hendrik ended up with the Third Separate Assault Brigade – a successor to the infamous neo-Nazi Azov Regiment. An officer within the brigade assured the Dutchman that the unit had severed its links to neo-Nazis – it turned out to be a lie, according to Hendrik.