Misanthropic Division

Misanthropic Division
Emblem of the Misanthropic Division
Founded2014
CountryUkraine
Size500–600 (2016)
Nickname(s)Division Phoenix
Motto(s)"Töten für Wotan" (Killing for Odin)
EngagementsEuromaidan
War in Donbas
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Websitehttp://misanthropicdivision.com/

The Misanthropic Division (Ukrainian: Мізантропік Дівіжн), also known as Division Phoenix since 2016,[1] is an international neo-Nazi group based in Ukraine which has been described as a paramilitary organization,[2] or as a movement.[1][3] They originated in 2014 to take part in the Euromaidan protests against the government of Viktor Yanukovych, with some members later fighting alongside the Azov Battalion and UAF in the Donbas region against Russian-backed separatists. Chapters of the group have also been reported to exist in other countries.[1][4] According to researcher Natalia Yudina, it is not a centralized organization, and it has neither a rigid structure nor permanent leaders.[4]

According to Stanford University's Mapping Militants Project, the group had disavowed militant activities by 2021 but remained active on social media.[2] As of 2022 the status of the group is unclear, according to The Intercept, which states "It's hard to tell how real it is, and how sizeable."[5]

  1. ^ a b c Hrytsenko, Anya (30 September 2016). "Misanthropic Division: A Neo-Nazi Movement from Ukraine and Russia". Euromaidan Press.
  2. ^ a b "MMP: Azov Battalion". Center for International Security and Cooperation. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  3. ^ "The Brown Internationale". www.zeit.de. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).