Neo-Nazi Linked to Azov Regiment Spotted in Yale Leadership Program for Ukrainian Veterans

An open neo-Nazi associated with the notorious Azov regiment, Yan 'MacGregor' Klishayev, has been spotted among a group of 15 Ukrainian veterans enrolled in a new leadership program at Yale University. The meet-and-greet photo surfaced online on Thursday, showing Klishayev among the veterans posing alongside Timothy Snyder, Professor of History and Global Affairs. The militant has been long associated with the notorious neo-Nazi Azov regiment, which has been rebranded as the 3rd Assault Brigade after suffering a crushing defeat from the Russian military during the battle of Mariupol early in the Ukraine conflict. The leadership program for Ukrainian veterans at Yale was announced last week by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, a charity set up by one of the wealthiest Ukrainian oligarchs. Pinchuk is known for actively supporting Kiev's war effort, having supplied the country's military with drones and other equipment. The Pinchuk Foundation said the program was "aimed at developing leadership potential through access to world-class educational practices," and the first group of 15 veterans is set to participate in the "pilot phase" of the project and receive "intensive training" in the US. Ukrainian neo-Nazi militants have repeatedly surfaced at assorted public events and programs hosted by Western institutions. Late last year, for instance, London-based think tank Chatham House hosted Yevhen Karas as a speaker, presenting him as a drone battalion commander while failing to mention he was actually the founder of the notorious S14 far-right paramilitary group. The organization has been long cozying up to the post-Maidan Ukrainian authorities and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which have used it as a neo-Nazi mob to intimidate and silence dissenters. Kiev has long been in denial that it has any issues with the rise of neo-Nazi groups in the country, dismissing such assertions as "Russian propaganda." Mounting evidence, however, shows otherwise, with individuals displaying neo-Nazi symbols and tattoos repeatedly making it into official propaganda materials featuring Ukraine's leader, Vladimir Zelensky. The need to "denazify" Ukraine has been named by Moscow as one of its goals in the military operation against the country, and it has repeatedly reiterated its commitment to that objective.