Abstract
Ukraine has been viewed by some as having become a training ground, networking opportunity, and general hub for the far-right due to the conflict in the east of the country, which began in 2014. With this type of terrorism on the rise in the West and events like the storming of the US Capitol Building in January 2021 fresh in the memory, it should come as no surprise that any such possibilities will generate concern. To investigate the types and extent of the threats posed by participants in the Ukraine conflict, we scrutinise the activities of a few alumni that we know of to date, as well as highlighting neglected historical episodes of right-wing fighters. We make three arguments here based on occurrences so far. Firstly, we know little about far-right foreign fighters and more attention needs to be paid to historical instances of the phenomenon. Secondly, some limited but diverse threats have already arisen from the Ukraine conflict and others may emerge in the future, but it would be unwise to overplay and homogenise the problem. Finally, it is Ukraine itself that probably faces the greatest challenges from its domestic far-right, although, if left unchecked, it may affect others in providing a space for, and permitting the growth of, connections with like-minded individuals and groups based elsewhere. Despite our warning about exaggerating the problem, Western security services should be taking the far-right very seriously at present, such as in relation to potential infiltration of them by such elements.
Highlights
The far-right, which can be defined as ‘an overlapping web of groups and ideologies based on racially, ethnically, or culturally defined superiority of one group and inferiority of all others’ is on the rise (Koehler 2019, p. 2)
We know little about far-right foreign fighters and more attention needs to be paid to historical instances of the phenomenon
Several hundred of the remaining number are thought to hail from Western states and hold far-right beliefs, and it is these that we focus on here (The Guardian 2019c; Koch 2019, p. 8; Legiec 2019; Soufan Centre 2019, p. 29)
Summary
The far-right, which can be defined as ‘an overlapping web of groups and ideologies based on racially, ethnically, or culturally defined superiority of one group and inferiority of all others (e.g., white supremacism, neo-Nazism, fascism)’ is on the rise (Koehler 2019, p. 2). We know little about why they went, the networks they were involved in before going and on return, how they reached the battlefields, what they did in the conflicts, and their activities post-foreign fighting. These same questions could be asked of the far-right fighters in Ukraine today. We discuss the absence of far-right foreign fighters in studies of the more general phenomenon and provide historical evidence to suggest that threats posed by returnees are possible. We move on to an investigation of the alumni of the conflict, selecting a few different types of threats that have subsequently emerged These individuals shine a light on many aspects of the contemporary far-right. Our conclusion considers some of the longer-term problems that such foreign fighters might pose, as well as suggesting avenues for future research
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
