National Socialism / White Power

National Socialism / White Power Crew
Also known as	Sparrows Crew, Crew/White Power, Natsional-sotsializm/ Belaya sila, vlast' NS/WP Nevograd
Leader	Andrey Pronsky (Подпись Неразборчива lit. 'Signature illegible')[1]
Dates of operation	2004–present
Country	Russia
Allegiance	Combat Organization of Russian Nationalists, National Socialist Society,
Ideology	Neo-Nazism Russian ultranationalism White nationalism Racism[2] Antisemitism[2] Xenophobia[2] Anti-immigration[2] Straight Edge[3]
Political position	Far-right[2]
Notable attacks	Alleged assassination attempt on Vladimir Solovyov 2022 Russian military commissariats attacks
Allies	Format18 National Socialist Society[1]
Opponents	Government of Russia
Battles and wars	2022 Belarusian and Russian partisan movement (allegedly, according to Russian authorities)
Designated as a terrorist group by	Russia
Flag
Website	ns-wp.ws (banned)[4]

National Socialism / White Power Crew (NS/WP Crew, also known as Sparrows Crew),^[5] is a Neo-Nazi extremist group operating in Russia, recognized by the Supreme Court of Russia as a “terrorist organization”.^[6]

History

According to Mediazona, many unrelated Nazi groups used the NS/WP abbreviation in the 2000s.^[1]

In 2010, two NS/WP members were charged with the murder of a Ghanaian citizen in 2009.^[7]

In 2014, nine members of this organization, aged 17 to 24, were sentenced to 4–9 years in prison for a series of murders, attacks and robberies, as well as committing other crimes motivated by ethnic hatred.^[4] Members of the organization recorded one of the murders on camera and posted it on the Internet. In addition, they set fire to a car with two homeless people sleeping in it and carried out several more attacks on foreigners and people leading an asocial lifestyle, according to the prosecution. Members of the group were also found guilty of setting fire to a temple, a construction crane, and blowing up a public transport stop using a makeshift device. The last crime was regarded as a terrorist attack.^[8][9]

On 21 May 2021, the movement was recognized as a terrorist organization by the authorities of the Russian Federation and banned.^{[6][8][10][11][9]}

Some Russian media claim that NS/WP Crew are also involved in the arson of military enlistment offices, which began after the announcement of mobilization in Russia.^{[12][13][unreliable source?]}

Claimed assassination attempt on Vladimir Solovyov

On 25 April 2022, the Federal Security Service announced the arrest of a group of members of an organization that was making preparations to attempt the assassination of pro-government journalist Vladimir Solovyov.^[14][15] According to the FSB, the assassination was prepared by order of the Security Service of Ukraine.^[16] During the searches, the suspects were found and seized with an improvised explosive device, incendiary devices like Molotov cocktails, pistols, a sawed-off hunting rifle, a grenade, cartridges, drugs and forged Ukrainian passports. In addition, nationalist literature and paraphernalia were found.^[17][18][19] Among the detainees was also one of the leaders of NS/WP Andrey Pronsky, who in 2013, on behalf of NS/WP, committed the murder of a Jewish person, for which he was sent for compulsory treatment.^[20]

A day earlier, Russian President Putin announced that the FSB had stopped an attempted assassination of an unnamed Russian journalist.

In June, a sixth defendant was arrested in the case of plotting Solovyov's assassination.^[21] However, the legitimacy of this plot has been questioned.^[22]

Assassination of Iryna Farion

On 25 July 2024, the group published a video-manifesto of a "Ukrainian autonomous revolutionary racist" who committed the murder of the Ukrainian linguist and nationalist politician Iryna Farion, including the moment when she was shot.^[23]

See also

• Combat Terrorist Organization
• The Savior (paramilitary organization)
• Combat Organization of Russian Nationalists
• National Socialist Society
• Primorsky Partisans

References

1. "Краткий курс NS/WP. Что мы знаем о задержанных за покушение на Соловьева — и о том, кто жег военкоматы". Медиазона (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
2. "Движение National Socialism/White Power признано террористическим". vesti.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
3. "Here's what we know about images of an allegedly foiled neo-Nazi assassination plot 'ordered by Ukraine'". France24. 3 December 2022. NS/WP whose agenda is anti-drug.
4. "Подозреваются в зверских убийствах". Interfax.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
5. "Верховный суд РФ запретил в России неонацистскую организацию National Socialism/White Power". www.mskagency.ru (in Russian). 21 May 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
6. "Террористические и экстремистские организации и материалы | Национальный антитеррористический комитет". nac.gov.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
7. "Russian Extremists Charged". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 13 February 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
8. "В России судом запрещено неонацистское движение NS-WP". Interfax.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
9. "Верховный суд признал террористическим неонацистское движение NS/WP". Медиазона (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
10. "Неонацистское движение NS/WP признано экстремистским". newizv.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
11. "ВС признал террористическим движение National Socialism/White Power". РБК (in Russian). 21 May 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
12. "Поджигают бутылки и бросают в окна: появилось видео попытки поджога призывного пункта в Перми". 59.ru - новости Перми (in Russian). 24 June 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
13. ""Сплошное белое пятно": кто поджигает военкоматы в России". NEWS.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 27 October 2022.
14. "К Владимиру Соловьеву не подпустили шестерых". www.kommersant.ru (in Russian). 25 April 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
15. "Here's what we know about images of an allegedly foiled neo-Nazi assassination plot 'ordered by Ukraine'". The Observers - France 24. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
16. "Russia appears to confuse 'The Sims' for SIM cards in possible staged assassination attempt". New York Post. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
17. "СК: покушение на Соловьева готовили члены группировки National Socialism/White Power". ya62.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
18. "СК: шестерых "неонацистов" подозревают в попытке взорвать машину телеведущего Соловьева". Медиазона (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
19. "ФСБ задержала неонацистов, планировавших убить Владимира Соловьева — Реальное время". realnoevremya.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2022.
20. "В Подмосковье отправят на лечение неонациста, зверски убившего еврея-диггера, чтобы записать новогоднее видео с поздравлениями". NEWSru.com (in Russian). 10 July 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
21. "В Москве арестовали еще одного подозреваемого в подготовке покушения на Соловьева". tass.ru. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
22. "Russia accused of faking Ukrainian assassination plot of Russian TV host". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
23. "Хто такі націонал-соціалісти руху NS/WP, які взяли відповідальність за вбивство Ірини Фаріон". BBC. 26 July 2024.