A veteran who fought for Nazi Germany and was recently celebrated in Canada’s parliament was given a medal
Ternopol Region in western Ukraine announced on Tuesday that it had decorated Yaroslav Hunka, the World War II Nazi soldier once cheered by lawmakers in Ottawa. The medal was presented on Hunka’s 99th birthday to his great-niece.
Hunka served in the 14th Waffen SS division, which was made up of Ukrainian volunteers and was responsible for atrocities against Poles, Jews, and the Soviet resistance.
Ternopol official Oleg Sirotyuk handed the ‘Yaroslav Stetsko’ medal for service to Hunka’s relative, Olga Vitkovska, with the expectation that she will eventually present it to her great-uncle in Canada.
The regional council had voted to give Hunka the medal on February 6, citing his “significant personal contribution to the provision of assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, active charity and public activity,” according to a document quoted by the Ukrainian outlet Suspilne.
A week after that, Canada refused Russia’s request to extradite Hunka, who has been charged with genocide for his role in World War II. (more...)
Ukrainian region honors former Waffen-SS fighter
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