The former Ukrainian Nazi soldier honored last month in the Canadian Parliament is being prosecuted in Russia for the genocide of civilians in Ukraine during the Second World War, the Russian investigative committee announced this Friday (20).

The incident occurred during Ukrainian President Volodmir Zelensky’s visit to that country’s Parliament.

In a statement, the Russian Investigative Committee said it accused Yaroslav Hunka, 98, in absentia of “genocide of civilians on the territory of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic during the Great Patriotic War.”

Between February 23 and 28, 1944, Hunka and other members of his SS division – a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are documented – killed “at least 500 citizens of the USSR” in the town of Huta Pieniacka, he added. .

Russia said it was exploring the possibility of issuing an international arrest warrant for Hunka and said it had requested help from Canada, Poland and Belarus in the investigation.

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Zelensky was in the Canadian Parliament when its Speaker, Anthony Rota, introduced Hunka as a World War II hero, drawing a standing ovation from lawmakers. Rota resigned following the scandal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in early October that it was “absolutely disgusting” that the veteran had been applauded, including by Zelensky.

Russia has for years tried to portray the Zelensky-led Ukrainian government as neo-Nazi and spread this message in state-controlled media to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his “sincere apologies” in September and said the incident “was a terrible mistake.”