Fact checking. Was Kosta’s security in Kyiv guaranteed by a military man with a Nazi emblem? – Observer

A photo of António Costa’s visit to Ukraine, in particular to Irpin, was posted on Facebook with a comment about a Ukrainian security official spotted next to the prime minister. The publication highlights in red the symbol that this element has on the chest – a white skull – and states that this is the “emblem of the 3rd SS Totenkopf division of the Nazis.”

The shared text asks readers if they remember “when this mediator in the midst of an election campaign said, ‘They won’t get through!!’ ? A reference to António Coste, who, in one of the televised debates in the campaign for the last legislature, used this expression to meet Chega Andre Ventura. The publication continues: “Well, this man yesterday in Irpin walked without any problems next to a Ukrainian soldier who had the emblem of the Nazi 3rd SS division Totenkopf on his shirt. Unforgivable, Costa!! Unforgiven!!!”.

Comparison of the image of the skull worn by this soldier with the symbol of the Totenkopf division (one of the divisions of the armed wing of the Waffen-SS of the German Nazi Party during World War II) shows that this is not the same emblem. The only thing in common is a white skull on a black background because its design is different. You can see that the guard’s skull next to Kosta is the one in the first image, not the second:

On the left is the emblem of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On the right is the 3rd SS division “Totenkopf”.

The man who appeared with a weapon next to António Costa is a member of the National Security Service of Ukraine who accompanied the Prime Minister of Portugal during a visit to Ukraine. According to EUvsDESINFO, who has already analyzed the presence of this symbol in some units of the Ukrainian army, is the official emblem of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In fact, on the side, on the arm, the same Ukrainian security officer who accompanied Kosta inscribed “udo” in Cyrillic, the initials for the Department of State Protection of Ukraine.

The skull is part of the emblem, approved in 2019 by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko, as a “sleeve insignia of combat brigades” of the Ukrainian army. Muzhenko realized this at the time through a Facebook post.

The security of Costa in Ukraine was provided by the personal protection units of the PSP (detachment of the Prime Minister of Portugal), and on the spot also by the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as in the case of the person highlighted in the analyzed photo. .

It should be noted that the photo is real, in which the observer reporting team in Ukraine captured the same moment as shown below and identified the same security element wearing a cap with the letters SWAT printed in white.

JOAO PORFIRIO/OBSERVER

Thus, the symbol in question is used by various units of the Ukrainian army, which have already raised the same issue now raised in this publication regarding the visit of the Prime Minister of Portugal.

Recall that the reason for the invasion of Russia was the “denazification” of Ukraine. Condemnations about Nazi elements in the Ukrainian army have been repeated since the beginning of the war, at the end of February, but the existence of an ultra-nationalist corps integrated into the Ukrainian armed forces has not yet been proven.

The man who appears next to António Costa in Irpin during the trip of the Prime Minister of Portugal to Ukraine performs security duties, and on his chest is the emblem of the 72nd mechanized brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He also has initials on his hand, indicating that he belongs to the Department of State Protection of Ukraine. Thus, the skull used is not the symbol of the 3rd SS Totenkopf Division, which, by the way, has a different emblem, as can be seen from a comparison of the two insignia.

According to the Observer classification, these are: