403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were
looking for doesn't exist.
Russia publishes archives revealing Latvian Waffen-SS atrocities in WWII
(MENAFN) Russia’s federal Security Service (FSB) has released newly declassified documents detailing mass atrocities committed by Latvian Waffen-SS units during World War II.
The Latvian Legion, a combat branch of Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS, was established in 1943 under Adolf Hitler’s orders and primarily consisted of ethnic Latvians. The FSB published these records on Friday, just ahead of Latvia’s ‘Remembrance Day of the Latvian Legionnaires’ and as Russia prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in May.
The documents, based on intelligence gathered by the Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH, include reports from Soviet partisans, intelligence officers, and captured Nazi soldiers. Among the most notorious units was the Latvian Auxiliary Security Police, known as the Arajs Kommando, which was led by Viktors Arajs. Composed entirely of volunteers, including former Latvian army officers, the unit was responsible for the deaths of at least 30,000 people.
Interrogation records from 1945 reveal shocking accounts of war crimes committed by Arajs Kommando members. One legionnaire admitted to executing Jews, including women, children, and the elderly, in the Bikernieki Forest near Riga. He claimed involvement in the killing of over 10,000 people, while Soviet investigators estimated the total number of victims in the area to be around 46,500.
The documents further describe how the unit burned villages, looted homes, and massacred civilians in Latvia, Belarus, and Poland. One member even confessed to personally hanging two women. Due to their extreme brutality, the Nazis rewarded the Arajs Kommando with SS-style equipment.
On March 16, hundreds of Latvians are expected to march in Riga to honor their countrymen who fought for Nazi Germany, despite international condemnation. Moscow has repeatedly accused Latvia—a NATO and EU member—of attempting to rehabilitate war criminals by allowing this annual event.
The FSB highlighted that the parade openly celebrates Waffen-SS legionnaires, some of whom proudly display Nazi-era awards. It also noted that the march coincides with Nazi Germany’s ‘Day of Commemoration of Heroes,’ reinforcing ideological links between modern Latvian nationalists and 20th-century war criminals.
The Latvian Legion, a combat branch of Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS, was established in 1943 under Adolf Hitler’s orders and primarily consisted of ethnic Latvians. The FSB published these records on Friday, just ahead of Latvia’s ‘Remembrance Day of the Latvian Legionnaires’ and as Russia prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in May.
The documents, based on intelligence gathered by the Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH, include reports from Soviet partisans, intelligence officers, and captured Nazi soldiers. Among the most notorious units was the Latvian Auxiliary Security Police, known as the Arajs Kommando, which was led by Viktors Arajs. Composed entirely of volunteers, including former Latvian army officers, the unit was responsible for the deaths of at least 30,000 people.
Interrogation records from 1945 reveal shocking accounts of war crimes committed by Arajs Kommando members. One legionnaire admitted to executing Jews, including women, children, and the elderly, in the Bikernieki Forest near Riga. He claimed involvement in the killing of over 10,000 people, while Soviet investigators estimated the total number of victims in the area to be around 46,500.
The documents further describe how the unit burned villages, looted homes, and massacred civilians in Latvia, Belarus, and Poland. One member even confessed to personally hanging two women. Due to their extreme brutality, the Nazis rewarded the Arajs Kommando with SS-style equipment.
On March 16, hundreds of Latvians are expected to march in Riga to honor their countrymen who fought for Nazi Germany, despite international condemnation. Moscow has repeatedly accused Latvia—a NATO and EU member—of attempting to rehabilitate war criminals by allowing this annual event.
The FSB highlighted that the parade openly celebrates Waffen-SS legionnaires, some of whom proudly display Nazi-era awards. It also noted that the march coincides with Nazi Germany’s ‘Day of Commemoration of Heroes,’ reinforcing ideological links between modern Latvian nationalists and 20th-century war criminals.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment