In Baden-Württemberg, right-wing extremist Ukrainian youths are increasingly networking with the local native neonazi scene. As shown by a report from the Stuttgarter Zeitung (paywalled) and by a response from the state government to a large inquiry by the SPD state parliamentary faction (PDF), the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution (LfV) classifies these groups nationwide as “enormously violent.” Serving as a central link between the different scenes is an exceptionally pronounced hostility toward homosexuality and toward queer people.
According to the Verfassungsschutz, there exists in the state a “significant pool of Ukrainian-descended youths with far-right extremist views.” They operate in group-like structures, use classic neo-Nazi slogans, and network regionally — both with German far-right extremists and with actors from other migrant groups.
“An Extremely Pronounced Homophobia”
In the government response, it is stated that shared enemy images bring these groups together; alongside traditional Nazism, what stands out is an “extremely pronounced homophobia.” Kyiv-based sociologist Hanna Hrytsenko (Center for Liberal Modernity) notes that far-right groups in Ukraine had already concentrated their activities before Russia’s invasion mainly on attacks against the queer community, feminist groups, and Roma.
These ideologies appear to be immediately compatible in Germany — queerphobia has, according to the Verfassungsschutz, developed into a “bridge narrative” for modern neo-Nazi groups. This manifests itself, among other things, in the systematic disruption operations and intimidation attempts by right-wing youth groups around Pride events (CSDs). A study recently found that more than half of Pride events in Germany this year were disrupted, usually by far-right groups — a new high (TheColu.mn reported).
The Stuttgarter Zeitung investigation concludes that Ukrainian neo-Nazis in the Göppingen and Esslingen districts have recently become more visible in the urban landscape. The potential for violence from this scene is underscored by a May 2025 incident in Eislingen (Göppingen district): two men from a four-person, non-German-speaking neo-Nazi group tailed a young man after he got off a train. After harassing him and asking whether he belonged to the Antifa, they struck him on the head with a sap and fled while shouting “Heil Hitler.” The victim sustained a heavily bleeding head wound that had to be stitched in the emergency department, but he declined to file a report due to a lack of trust in the police. The Ulm Police Department currently declines to comment on the Göppingen group for investigative reasons.
Queer-Friendly Safe Spaces in Focus
Beyond direct street and bodily violence, the agitation is aimed specifically at queer structures. At the Youth House at the Station (JaB) in Nürtingen (Esslingen district), which was explicitly designed as a queer-friendly safe space, a group of Ukrainian youths with right-wing tendencies has been regularly present for around nine months.
According to the facility’s director, Marina Bahnmüller, there have been repeated swastika graffiti inside the house; in addition, announcements for queer events have been torn down. The youths wear scene-typical clothing, listen to music with anti-constitutional symbols such as the “Black Sun,” and stand out for queer-phobic statements. Social-educational work is hampered by language barriers and isolation, but it continues because the worldview of many followers within the group has not yet solidified.
