After a shootout early Easter morning left at least one dead, Kremlin-backed news outlet Life News reported that the business card of Dmytro Yarosh, the leader of the far-right nationalist political party Praviy Sektor, was found on the scene, along with weapons and ammunition.
The business card, seen below, lists a telephone number and e-mail address for Yarosh, who recently announced his candidacy for the presidential elections scheduled for May 25. When activists called the number, they reached an elderly woman unaffiliated with Praviy Sektor.
Praviy Sektor spokesperson Artem Skoropadskiy called the allegations that Yarosh was involved in the violence “absurd,” and a “staged act of provocation,” noting that the business cards were found uncharred in a completely burned-out car.
This absurd bit of alleged propaganda has spawned an Internet meme in which Yarosh’s alleged business card is shown in a variety of famous movie scenes and photographs.
The business card even has its own twitter account, @vizitkayarosha.
Critics say Life News’ report appears to be part of a broader attempt by the Kremlin to blame Praviy Sektor and other far-right groups for the recent uptick in separatist violence in eastern Ukraine. Russian propaganda has frequently claimed that “Banderites” (supporters of deceased Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera) forces from western Ukraine are inciting violence and spreading fascist ideas in eastern Ukraine.
This was the pretext for the Russian annexation of Crimea, and many fear that it will be used again to justify the annexation of parts of eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv Post staff writer Isaac Webb can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter at @IsaacDWebb.
