Featuring SS symbols and swastika tattoos, a unit of French neo-Nazis is reportedly recruiting soldiers to fight alongside the Ukrainian army
Using Nazi symbols, SS references, and battle names from the Nazi era: In 2025, a unit of French volunteers in Ukraine is consisting largely of neo-Nazis, according to research by French online newspaper Streetpress. The group’s aim is reportedly to recruit new fighters, including former soldiers of the French army.
Among other things, the starting point for the investigation is a photograph published in September 2025, showing approximately 20 armed men in uniform, gathered around an armored vehicle. The image was distributed via Instagram and forwarded in far-right networks. Openly Nazi references appeared in the comments, including the term « Einsatzgruppen » — the name given to the mobile killing squads of the Nazi regime responsible for the mass murder of Jews, Roma, and political opponents during the Second World War.
From the Foreign Legion to the Nazi unit
According to Streetpress, the author of this comment is a French neo-Nazi from Lyon, who is going by the pseudonym « Kenneth » [Gwendal Delange] and has been mentioned in several media reports. The man reportedly has swastikas and SS emblems tattooed on him and traveled to Ukraine as early as 2022. In the spring of 2023, he was joined by other French citizens, including a far-right hooligan [César Aujard] suspected of involvement in an attack on a parliamentary staffer from the left-wing party La France Insoumise, and a former activist [Allan Duchézeau] from the far-right student organization Groupe Union Défense (GUD), with a history in the French Foreign Legion.
The presence of French neo-Nazis on the Ukrainian side is not new but intensified significantly in 2025, reports Streetpress. The group has grown to the point where it has formed its own unit, which initially operated under the name « War Agressive », later renaming itself « Légion pirates ». The unit is reportedly affiliated with the Ukrainian battalion « Revanche », which has links to the ultranationalist Orthodox party Tradition and Order. A Frenchman involved described the group to Streetpress as a « fascist battalion ».
Through its local organization, the group is also functioning as a recruitment network. Members of the « Légion pirates » have repeatedly called for applications on social media in recent months. Outwardly, the unit is presenting itself as part of the Ukrainian military intelligence service GUR and is portraying itself as a special forces unit. In reality, its true role remains unclear. According to the fighters themselves, their operations are primarily limited to reconnaissance missions.
References to Waffen-SS Division
According to Streetpress, several former members of the French armed forces are among the newly recruited fighters, including a former paratrooper in the Foreign Legion [Ylian Fort]. Also present are avowed neo-Nazis who are openly displaying SS emblems and swastikas. Some are combining both profiles: One of the fighters is calling himself « Charlemagne » [my chapter about him] — an allusion to the French Waffen-SS division of the same name during World War II — and previously served in the 13th Mountain Battalion of the French Army. Since arriving in Ukraine in the summer of 2025, he has had a swastika tattooed on his chest. Another fighter, who goes by the name « Roque » [my chapter about him], also served in the Foreign Legion and can be seen with Nazi symbols on his uniform and equipment.
The French Ministry of Defense declined to comment on specific individuals, but confirmed that the men in question are no longer serving in the French army.
Streetpress pays particular attention to the profile of another fighter with the nom de guerre « Malo » [Gwendal Cohin Pourajaud]. He is a former far-right activist who was convicted in 2021 for his involvement in violence at a campaign event for then-presidential candidate Éric Zemmour. During a house search at the time, investigators seized a flag associated with the Ukrainian far right. After stints with the groups Zouaves Paris and GUD, he traveled to Ukraine in the summer of 2025 to join the Pirate Legion. He told Streetpress that he was « proud to defend the interests of the Ukrainian people and fight against communism in the east ».
French security authorities are following these developments with growing concern. The Interior Ministry stated that it is paying « special attention » to the individuals in question, as their combat experience could pose a threat to internal security if they were to return to France. Shortly after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the investigative media outlet Mediapart reported on similar concerns, drawing parallels to the return of jihadist fighters from the Syrian war. At that time, authorities counted around 150 French citizens in Ukraine, including approximately 30 from the far-right scene. In April 2023, two French neo-Nazis [Guillaume Andreoni and Alan Vigneron] were arrested upon their return from Ukraine – they were carrying magazines for assault rifles and military optics. After a brief period in custody, both returned to the front lines.
According to the report, some of the identified neo-Nazis are using the freedom of movement within the Schengen Area to make regular trips to France and other European countries. One of the fighters [Gwendal Delange] returned to France for a time and later appeared at large nationalist demonstrations in Poland. Another [Gwendal Cohin Pourajaud] was seen working as a steward at a far-right demonstration in Paris in early 2026.
Left-wing politicians as targets for shooting practice
Particularly alarming are the posts on social media in which individual fighters are expressing violent fantasies against left-wing parties and anti-fascist activists. For example, a member of the group from Ukraine [Roque] published photos of shooting exercises in which targets were marked with the abbreviations of left-wing parties as well as the name of anti-fascist Clément Méric, who was killed by a right-wing extremist in 2013.
Besides the « Légion pirates », research indicates another, smaller group of French neo-Nazis is existing in Ukraine [within the ranks of the 1st International Legion battalion], calling itself the « Légion des volontaires français » – a reference to the collaborationist unit of the same name which fought alongside the Wehrmacht in World War II. Former French soldiers are also said to be active in this group. In the summer of 2025, a member of that group, who went by the nom de guerre « Kapo » [Kevin Lazzari] – another term from the Nazi concentration camp system – was reportedly killed [end]
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