Russia is demanding the extradition of a Ukrainian citizen from Canada due to his past service to the German SS.
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered on Wednesday for law enforcement agencies to begin looking into the extradition of Yaroslav Hunka, 98, from Canada on charges related to his service to Nazi Germany.
“Hunka must be held fully accountable for his bloody crimes,” said Shoigu. “Such crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations.”
CANADA UNDER FIRE FOR APPLAUDING ‘LITERAL NAZI’ IN PARLIAMENT DURING ZELENSKYY VISIT
Yaroslav Hunka, right, waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Onatario on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons apologized Sunday, Sept. 24, for recognizing Hunka, who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II. Just after Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave the 98-year-old a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)
Hunka is a former serviceman of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi military formation comprised of mostly Ukrainian volunteers in combat against the Soviet Union.
Last month, Speaker Anthony Rota invited Hunka to the Canadian House of Commons to attend a speech given by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Hunka was introduced as a war hero to standing ovation by members of the House of Commons, who were unaware of the man’s service record.
Russian President Vladimir Putin talks to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, during the annual Navy Day Parade in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Getty Images)
Rota resigned from his position following public backlash to Hunka’s appearance, saying the Nazi veteran’s inclusion was strictly his fault.
“No one in this House is above any of us. Therefore, I must step down as your speaker,” Rota told Canada’s House of Commons. “I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognizing an individual in the House during the joint address to Parliament of President Zelenskyy.
Now, Shoigu has enlisted agencies in both Russia and Belarus to see extradition of Hunka.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka, who was in attendance and fought with the First Ukrainian Division in World War II before later immigrating to Canada, in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (AP )
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“The harboring of this Nazi criminal […] who has the blood of hundreds if not thousands of our citizens on his hands, cannot be justified for any reason,” Shoigu said of Hunka.
The demand is unlikely to be recognized, but serves to reassert Russian war narratives — Kremlin officials have used Nazi Germany’s historic occupation of Ukraine as justification for its ongoing invasion since 2022.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
