How the Israeli Embassy was drawn into an information operation against Ukraine: ‘Nazi salute’ on Maidan in Kyiv

The story with a video showing several dozen young people with covered faces demonstrating a Nazi salute on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv has become not just another scandal in Ukrainian social networks.

It quickly turned into an international issue because the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine reacted to it.

For Israel, such a topic cannot be secondary. Any Nazi gestures, any attempts to play with Nazi symbols, any public actions that insult the memory of Holocaust victims require a strong reaction.

But in this story, as the Ukrainian publication “Glavkom” claims, there is another, no less important layer: the video could have been used as part of an information special operation against Ukraine, and the Israeli embassy may have reacted to the image without fully verifying its origin.

The “Glavkom” material was published on June 30, 2026 under the headline “Nazi Salute” on Maidan? Anatomy of a Special Operation Against Ukraine. The author of the publication is Inna Mykhailivska. The publication directly states that the video story put the Israeli embassy in Ukraine in an awkward position.

What the Israeli embassy stated

According to “Glavkom”, last week the Israeli embassy in Ukraine issued a statement saying that on June 21, an event by the “Brotherhood” association took place on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv, and its participants allegedly shouted Nazi greetings and demonstrated a Nazi salute.

In the embassy’s statement, quoted by “Glavkom”, there was concern about such an event, as it insults the memory of millions of Nazi victims. Israeli diplomats also expressed hope for a prompt response from Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in accordance with Ukrainian law.

Such a position is understandable in itself.

Israel, as a state created in part after the Holocaust catastrophe, cannot remain silent when images with Nazi gestures appear in the public space. Especially if it concerns Ukraine — a country where hundreds of thousands of Jews were exterminated during World War II.

But the main question here is not whether there should be a reaction to Nazism.

There should be.

The question is different: were the date, participants, context, and source of the video correctly established.

And this is where the most important part of the story begins.

The main fact: the video was not shot on June 21

“Glavkom” writes that two short videos showing several dozen young people with covered faces demonstrating a Nazi salute on Maidan do indeed exist.

How the Israeli Embassy was drawn into an information operation against Ukraine: “Nazi salute” on Maidan in Kyivhttps://t.co/pTmJiodf6X#НАновости #NAnews #Israel #Ukraine #IsraelUkraine #Израиль#ישראל pic.twitter.com/JC9x0jOhzB

— NAnews – Nikk.Agency Israel Ukraine News (@AgencyNikk) June 30, 2026

But, according to the publication, they were shot not on June 21, not during the event mentioned by the Israeli embassy, but about a month earlier — on May 23, 2026.

This is a crucial detail.

If the video was not shot on June 21, then the statement that participants of the “Brotherhood” allegedly demonstrated a Nazi salute at the June 21 event may be based on an incorrect link to the event.

“Glavkom” also writes that on June 21, other events took place on Maidan: the “March of Tradition”, organized in particular by the “Right Sector” and other right-wing groups, as well as a march in defense of family, children, and Ukraine, organized by the movement “All Together!”. At the same time, the annual “KyivPride” march was held nearby.

So the day was politically and socially eventful.

There were indeed different groups on Maidan.

But “Glavkom” claims that the scandalous footage with the Nazi salute does not relate to these events on June 21.

What the organizers of the June 21 events say

More details – https://news.nikk.co.il/eto-bylo-nedorazumenie/

The leader of the movement “All Together!” Ruslan Kukharchuk, according to “Glavkom”, published a refutation of the Israeli embassy’s statement. He stated that he was on Maidan on June 21 and saw what was happening with his own eyes.

According to him, there was no “Brotherhood” event on Maidan on June 21, but two other events took place — a march in defense of family, children, and Ukraine and the “March of Tradition”. Kukharchuk also claimed that he did not see any instances of anyone raising their hand in a Nazi gesture.

A similar position was expressed by the leader of “Brotherhood” Dmytro Korchynsky. He stated that he was on Maidan on June 21, saw representatives of different organizations, but, according to him, no one at the event demonstrated a Nazi salute. Korchynsky also claimed that some people were crossing themselves, and this could have been mistakenly perceived as Nazi gestures.

It is important here not to turn the organizers’ position into a final verdict.

But for journalistic and diplomatic verification, these are important testimonies that cannot be ignored.

If the Israeli embassy received a video linked to June 21, and the event participants and the Ukrainian publication claim that the video was shot on May 23, then the key question should be: who and why provided this version to the diplomats?

Where the video came from

According to “Glavkom”, the original source of the footage with the so-called “zigging” was the Telegram channel “Bile Sontse”.

The publication writes that the videos were published there on May 23 at 23:58. The material emphasizes: this means that the claim about the video as an event on June 21 is a fake.

In the Telegram channel publications, according to “Glavkom”, the groups “Bila Varta” and “Bile Sontse” are mentioned.

To an outside observer, such groups may look like racists and right-wing extremists. But “Glavkom” draws a harsher conclusion: the publication believes that these people could primarily act as actors creating an image for anti-Ukrainian propaganda.

This wording is very important.

It does not justify the people in the video.

If they indeed demonstrated Nazi gestures, this should be the subject of investigation.

But at the same time, it shows another level of the problem: in wartime conditions, provocative footage can be deliberately created to be later used by Russian propaganda resources, foreign commentators, and even diplomats.

Why this looks like an information operation

The scheme described by “Glavkom” looks like this.

First, a marginal provocative image appears: people with covered faces, Nazi gestures, Maidan as the main symbol of Ukrainian political history.

Then the video is published on Telegram.

Then it spreads on social networks.

After that, it is picked up by Russian propaganda resources.

And only then do foreign diplomats react to the image, who may not have checked the original source, date, and real context.

“Glavkom” writes that on May 25, the Russian TV channel REN TV used these shots in its “report” on the reburial of Andriy Melnyk in Kyiv.

This is an important point.

If Russian propaganda used these shots as early as May 25, and the Israeli embassy later linked them to the events of June 21, then the information path of the video looks extremely suspicious.

For Russia, such a scheme is beneficial.

First, an image is created.

Then it spreads.

Then it is used to confirm the old Kremlin narrative about alleged “Nazism in Ukraine”.

And if the Israeli embassy reacts to it, Moscow gets an even more convenient tool: it can be said that even Israel allegedly confirms the problem.

This makes the story dangerous not only for Ukraine but also for Israel.

The role of “Bila Varta”, “Bile Sontse”, and the version of a pro-Russian trace

In the “Glavkom” material, there is another important block.

The publication cites a statement from the “Right Sector”, published on the night of June 21-22. It stated that a group of activists from nationalist organizations conducted an “educational conversation” with representatives of “Bila Varta”.

According to the “Right Sector”, this center is part of the informal structure “Union of the Right for Peace”, which, as stated in the statement, may be funded from abroad by former deputies of the regions and representatives of the OPZZh, in particular, a person named Novinsky.

The statement also said that “Bila Varta” allegedly conducted an anti-mobilization information campaign, called for non-participation in the war, and spread narratives about the “futility of resisting Russian occupiers” and “peace on the aggressor’s terms”.

This is no longer just a story about gestures.

This is a story about a possible network that uses right-wing symbolism and radical rhetoric to strike at Ukrainian statehood from within.

“Glavkom” also mentions former MP Ihor Mosiychuk, who, as the publication writes, has long been noticed in cooperation with Novinsky. The material cites his publication from April 1, which talks about the “Union of the Right for Peace”, among the participants of which are named “Bila Varta” and “Bile Sontse”.

In addition, “Glavkom” recalls that on May 9, Mosiychuk, along with Novinsky and other former regionals abroad, laid flowers at a Soviet monument in Vienna.

For the Israeli audience, this is especially important.

Because here arises not a simple formula “Ukrainian right-wingers made a scandalous video”.

The picture is more complex: it may be about groups that use right-wing aesthetics and radical gestures but actually work to undermine Ukraine, its defense, its mobilization, and its international reputation.

How the video entered the large information field

According to “Glavkom”, not only Russian resources contributed to the legitimization of this video.

The publication writes that on May 24, the video was spread on the X network by researcher Marta Havryshko. She added an English-language comment to the publication, calling the video participants neo-Nazis who allegedly marched to Maidan for a rally against labor immigration to Ukraine, and appealed to Europe to look at their “defenders”.

According to “Glavkom”, this tweet received over a million views and almost four thousand reposts. It was reposted, in particular, by the Russian “liberal” Yulia Latynina.

And here you can see how the modern information trap works.

A marginal video by itself can remain in a narrow Telegram channel.

But when it is picked up by people with an audience, especially in English, it enters the Western information field.

After that, Russian propaganda no longer needs to work much.

It only needs to use the ready-made material: “look, even Ukrainian researchers write about neo-Nazis on Maidan”.

And then such an image can be seen by foreign diplomats, journalists, politicians, Jewish organizations.

And then a chain reaction begins.

The position of Moshe Asman

A separate significance in this story is the position of Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Asman.

“Glavkom” writes that Asman acknowledged: the statement of Israeli diplomats about alleged Nazi slogans and gestures of “Brotherhood” representatives was unfounded.

According to the publication, Asman met with the leader of “Brotherhood” Dmytro Korchynsky. After that, he stated that the video circulated on social networks is not related to the mentioned event and was actually shot much earlier. He also said that the people in the video are not participants of “Brotherhood” or other Ukrainian patriotic organizations.

The most important phrase of Asman concerns the possible nature of the provocation.

According to “Glavkom”, he stated that it is about minor provocateurs who could probably be used by Russian special services interested in such provocations, paying them money.

Asman also said that he had already spoken with the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Brodsky and explained to him that the embassy team, in his words, “was misled”. He emphasized that it is now important not to let provocations cause a rift between Ukraine and Israel and the Jewish community worldwide.

For NAnews — Israel News, this is a key part of the story.

Because Asman speaks not only as a religious leader.

He speaks as a person who is inside the Ukrainian Jewish context, understands Israel’s pain, understands the danger of Nazism, but at the same time sees how Russian information operations can use this pain against Ukraine.

Why this story is important for Israel

Israel has every moral right to react harshly to any manifestations of Nazism.

But Israel must be especially careful when the theme of Nazism is used in information warfare.

Russia has been trying for decades to claim a monopoly on the memory of World War II. The Kremlin uses the word “Nazism” not as a historical concept but as a political weapon.

This is how Moscow justified the invasion of Ukraine.

This is how it explained the destruction of Ukrainian cities.

This is how it tried to present Ukrainian resistance not as a people’s struggle for freedom but as an alleged “Nazi project”.

And if the reaction of the Israeli embassy accidentally falls into such a scheme, it becomes a serious problem.

Because Russian propaganda gets what it needs: an emotional, international, Jewish, and diplomatic framework around a fake or distorted story.

For Israel, this should be a lesson.

In matters related to the Holocaust, Nazism, Ukraine, Maidan, and the Russian war, the speed of response should not replace fact-checking.

Russia strikes not only with missiles but also with fakes.

The war against Ukraine is not only on the front.

It is happening on Telegram.

It is happening on X.

It is happening in English-language publications.

It is happening in diplomatic offices.

It is happening in the minds of people who see a short video but do not see its origin.

The Russian information war is built on taking real pain and inserting it into a false context.

For Jews, the pain is Nazism and the memory of the Holocaust.

For Ukrainians, the pain is Russian aggression and constant attempts to portray the victim of aggression as the perpetrator.

For Israel, the pain is the security of the Jewish people and the fight against anti-Semitism.

Moscow tries to connect these pains to pit those who should be allies against each other.

Ukraine — with Israel.

Israel — with Ukrainian society.

Jewish communities — with the Ukrainian struggle against Russian aggression.

What should be done

This story should not end with a simple explanation: “it was a provocation.”

Provocation does not negate responsibility.

If the video indeed featured people demonstrating Nazi gestures, Ukrainian law enforcement should identify them, check their connections, find out who organized the filming, who paid for participation, who first distributed the video, and who brought it to international scandal.

Specific questions need to be answered.

Who are these people?

Are they connected to “Bila Varta” or “Bile Sontse”?

Were there minors among them?

Who filmed the video?

Why did it appear on May 23?

Why was it later linked to June 21?

Who passed this version to the Israeli embassy?

Why was the reaction published without publicly verifying the source?

These questions are important not to justify Ukraine.

They are important to protect the truth.

Because if such a scheme worked once, it can be repeated again.

Israel and Ukraine should speak directly.

For Israel, the right conclusion is not to remain silent about Nazism.

Silence is not an option.

The right conclusion is to verify the source, date, context, participants, and distribution chain.

If there are signs of Nazi gestures — demand an investigation.

If there are signs of Russian provocation — speak about it just as loudly.

If diplomats were misled — correct the mistake publicly.

If Ukraine needs to find provocateurs — Ukraine must do it.

If Israel wants to protect the memory of the victims of Nazism — it must protect it from those who use this memory as a tool of a Russian special operation.

This is where honest communication between Kyiv and Jerusalem is needed.

Not through fakes.

Not through Telegram channels.

Not through Russian media.

But directly — between diplomats, law enforcement agencies, Jewish organizations, and Ukrainian institutions.

NANews — Israel News believes that this story should be carefully studied in Israel not as a “Ukrainian internal scandal,” but as an example of how Moscow tries to work with Israel’s sensitivity to the topic of Nazism and the Holocaust.

Conclusion

The story with the “Nazi salute” on Maidan shows how dangerous hybrid warfare has become.

A few seconds of video can become an international scandal.

One Telegram channel can create an image for Russian propaganda.

One English-language post can bring a marginal video into the Western information field.

One unchecked diplomatic reaction can give Moscow exactly the effect it sought.

Ukraine must rigorously investigate any manifestations of Nazism and any provocations under Nazi symbolism.

Israel must respond harshly to anti-Semitism and Nazism, but not allow itself to be drawn into Russian information traps.

And the Jewish world must understand: protecting the memory of the Holocaust requires not only an emotional reaction but also precise fact-checking.

Because today lies often come not in the form of a long article.

They come in the form of a short video.

And if not checked in time, they start working against those who truly stand on the side of truth.

Read the full material from “Glavkom” here (ukr.):

“Nazi Salute” on Maidan? Anatomy of a Special Operation Against Ukraine