Fought for Ukraine

Right-wing extremist from Vienna fought in Ukraine: dead

(Bild: APA/AFP/Genya SAVILOV)

The Austrian who apparently died in fighting in Ukraine is now being repatriated to his home country.

"The Austrian Embassy in Kyiv is in contact with the relatives and is assisting with the repatriation of the body," a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. The ministry had previously confirmed the death of the Austrian citizen in Ukraine, but did not provide any further details for data protection reasons.

The dead fighter is said to be a 30-year-old member of the far-right Identitarian movement, who is not unknown in this country. The man is said to have been killed by a Russian drone. He is said to have been fighting for Ukraine against Russia for some time.

His Ukrainian partner mourned the Viennese in an Instagram post. "I like being a soldier. I can't leave my comrades. I came here for a reason and I will stay until the end of the war," he is said to have repeatedly told her.

Man known to the authorities
The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that "the security authorities were aware of the person named in connection with the far-right scene". The Ministry of Defense stated that the man who was killed had no connection to the armed forces.

It is forbidden to serve in foreign armies or the Foreign Legion. "Voluntary entry into the military service of a foreign state will result in the withdrawal of Austrian citizenship, even if the person becomes stateless as a result", according to the Foreign Ministry. However, an application for revocation of citizenship would have to be submitted by the federal authorities to the competent state authorities, which is probably out of the question in this case.

Known for violent actions
The Viennese activist is associated with the disruption of a theater performance in the Audimax of the University of Vienna in 2016 by members of the Identitarian movement. In the same year, he is also said to have been involved in violent actions against anti-fascist demonstrators in Graz.

Martin Sellner, the former head of the Identitarian movement in Austria, wrote on Telegram and X: "A few days ago, one of my oldest friends and comrades-in-arms passed away far too early, at the age of 30. He made his own decisions, chose a different path and we parted ways."

In Austria, the Identitarians, like their offshoots and splinter groups, are under observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The latest report on the protection of the constitution identified an "increased potential threat to the democratic constitutional state" posed by the "New Right", as their aim is to "overcome the prevailing democratic, constitutional and social order".