Zelensky in Kupiansk: Nationalist symbol sparks controversy

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, visited Kupiansk and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region on Monday, where he met with Ukrainian soldiers and presented them with awards in honour of Sergeant's Day.

"The strength of our Ukrainian army lies in its people — those who serve with unwavering dedication and resilience," he emphasised in a statement posted on the platform X, sharing the recording from Kupiansk.

In the video published online, Zelensky speaks against the backdrop of three flags: the national flag, the city of Kupiansk flag, and prominently in the centre, the red-and-black flag associated with Ukrainian nationalists and used by the Banderites.

The red colour on the flag symbolises the blood shed for Ukraine, while black represents the Ukrainian soil. The flag, used by Ukrainian nationalists OUN-B/UPA, is unequivocally associated in Poland with the Volhynia massacre – one of the most dramatic episodes of World War II – which results in its highly negative perception.

Particularly as a dispute has been ongoing between Warsaw and Kyiv since the spring of 2017 regarding the Ukrainian IPN's ban on searching for and exhuming the remains of Polish victims of wars and conflicts on Ukrainian territory.