The claim
Ukraine is ruled by Nazis. That is why Russia aims to “denazify” its neighboring country through war. Evidence is a patch with an SS skull on the uniform of Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Our conclusion
The skull emblem on President Zelensky's jacket has nothing to do with the Nazi-era logos. It is the logo of the 72nd Brigade, a Ukrainian unit, and is therefore not surprising since skulls have been used as a symbol for the military for a very long time (even before the Nazi regime).
Recently, the “Nazi claim” is said to be substantiated by a Facebook post after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is said to be wearing an SS skull on his sleeve.

Skull patch on Zelensky jacket
According to the German Press Agency , the photo from the Facebook post was taken in Kharkiv on September 14, 2022. Zelensky was on a work trip and also spoke to journalists in the Kharkiv region to inform them that Ukraine will return to where it was before the war.
In the photo, Zelenskyj is photographed from the side in his olive green jacket, which clearly shows the logo on his sleeve. In fact, a skull can be seen on the patch, although it is not reminiscent of an SS skull from the right-wing extremist scene.
Skull has nothing to do with the Nazi past
Instead, the skull with lettering above it is the official symbol of the 72nd Brigade , an infantry fighting vehicle-equipped unit of the Ukrainian Army. This brigade has demonstrably no connection to fascist ideologies.
Jörg Baberowski, the professor of the history of Eastern Europe, also confirmed to the dpa that the symbol belongs to the Ukrainian brigade: “Zelenskyj definitely does not wear the symbol of the SS skull and crossbones, which looked completely different and was attached to the cap . Rather, it is the symbol of a Ukrainian brigade.”
Skull symbols have been used in the military for quite some time
Baberowski goes on to say that there have always been skull symbols in the military, including, for example, Ukrainian units during the Russian Civil War or the Prussian military. The SS associations, which also chose the skull as their symbol, made it so well known over time that a similar logo is often associated with Germany's Nazi past.
“Skulls have been in use since the 17th century at the latest as military symbols that stand for contempt for death and fearlessness,” says Gerhard Bauer, head of the uniforms and field insignia at the Dresden Military History Museum, in a fact check by MDR . The expert also explains that the symbol worn by Zelensky is a military one.
Furthermore, just by looking closely or zooming in on the image shared on Facebook, you can see some visual differences between the military skull and the SS skull. This includes, for example, the shape of the jaw, which is clearly different, as well as the fact that the SS skull was always facing to the left, but the one on Zelenskyj's uniform was facing to the right.
Conclusion
The skull emblem on President Zelensky's jacket has nothing to do with the Nazi-era logos. It is the logo of the 72nd Brigade, a Ukrainian unit, and is therefore not surprising since skulls have been used as a symbol for the military for a very long time (even before the Nazi regime).
More about the Ukrainian president: Can you see Zelenskyj with a rocket launcher in a new music video?
Author: Nick L.
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Notes:
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