I can not vouch for the photo below. But its symbolic value is certainly relevant.
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It is a book about a bygone politician on sales. No unusual but still, why would anyone ditch 5 of whatever for it?
Meanwhile the Economist continues to do its best to amplify Nazis.
Ukraine’s army is struggling to find good recruits – Economist – Dec 17, 2023
The new recruits came from a variety of backgrounds, but they shared one thing: after rudimentary training in western Europe, none of them expected to be deployed to an assault unit at the hottest section of the Ukrainian front line. Some had signed up voluntarily, thinking they would to be given places in units that suited their profiles: as drone operators or artillery men. Others were plucked from their villages with little warning. One older recruit didn’t even have the chance to pick up his false teeth. After less than a week in the trenches of the Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, the platoon of 20 had been reduced by six. Three had been killed in action, three seriously wounded.
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There are several examples of successful recruitment campaigns into individual units. The 3rd Assault Brigade, created nine months into the war as a branch of Ukraine’s special forces, is perhaps the most visible. Skyscraper-sized adverts in Ukraine’s cities glamorise life as one of the brigade’s stormtroopers, slaying goblin-like caricatures of evil. But no less important is the brigade’s reputation for competent command, good equipment and low attrition rates. New recruits typically undergo months of training, unlike the one-month standard.Khrystyna Bondarenko, a spokesperson for the brigade, says it has no shortage of volunteers. By the start of next year the brigade will be Ukraine’s largest, she says, at around the size of a NATO division. (Ukraine’s army does not have divisions.) The majority of its new recruits are under 25, and she turns down 150 applications a month from minors. “No one is saying there are millions of people waiting to fight in Avdiivka [a town in the Donbas that has recently seen fierce fighting],” she says. “But there are people you can work with.”
The third assault brigade is of course the essence of Ukrainian fascism:
The brigade was established by a merger of the Azov SSO (Special Operations Forces) units that had been created by former Azov Battalion veterans.
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With the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, most units of the Azov Regiment were based in Mariupol where they soon would be besieged. Outside of Mariupol, many former veterans of Azov outside the city began forming new units, in particular in Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv. These units were soon integrated into the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and became collectively known as "Azov SSO".In November 2022, all the former Azov SSO were merged into a single fully operational combat unit within the Ukrainian Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The formation of this brigade was strategically designed to create a highly mobile, well-equipped, and extensively trained force capable of engaging in both defensive and offensive operations. According to Andriy Biletsky, as of January 2023 the brigade was deployed in the Battle of Bakhmut.
An important milestone for the brigade occurred on 24 February 2023, when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally presented the Regimental Colour during a ceremonial event.
The Economist writers claim that the Azov Nazis have had a "low attrition rate". The historical record does not support that claim:
The Azov Brigade, hailed by Ukrainians for its tenacity during Russia’s siege of Mariupol, is scrambling to rebuild from heavy combat losses as it seeks to play a muscular role in Ukraine’s next major assault.
After being defeated in Mariuplo Azov rbuild with the recruitment of thousands of new fighters only to lose more of them:
The Russian military group known as “Center” has reportedly inflicted significant damage on the Azov Brigade, a group that has been banned in Russia and labeled as a terrorist organization. The military confrontation took place in the Krasnolimansk direction, with reports suggesting that the Azov Brigade has suffered considerable losses both in terms of personnel and equipment.
The Economist isn't the only outlet that is whitewashing Ukrainian Nazi gangs. The New York Times went through several stages from calling Azov "a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization" to white washing it as a simple "unit in the Ukrainian military".
Andriy Beletsky, the commander of Azov mentioned in the above quoted Wikipedia excerpt, is know for declaring that:
“the historical mission of the Ukrainian nation at this critical moment is to lead the white peoples of the world in the last crusade for its existence, and to fight against the sub-humanity led by the Semites”.
The Economist depicts the urge of many young Ukrainians to join the fascist Azov brigade as a positive example.
I find it frightening.
Who, by the way, is paying for them?