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Vita Zaverukha
Native name	Ukrainian: Вікторія Ігорівна Заверуха
Birth name	Victoria Ihorivna Zaverukha
Born	1996 (age 27–28) Vinnytsia, Ukraine
Allegiance	Aidar
Years of service	2014 – 2015

Victoria Ihorivna Zaverukha (Ukrainian: Вікторія Ігорівна Заверуха), better known as Vita Zaverukha, is a Ukrainian nationalist militant and ex-member of the volunteer battalion Aidar. Following Elle France's publication in 2014 of an article on pro-government female fighters in the war in Donbas, she became known for publishing neo-Nazi content on social media. In 2015, she was arrested on charges of participating in a robbery in Kyiv that resulted in the death of two policemen of the Berkut special force. A public campaign for her liberation developed from nationalist right-wing circles. She was released on bail in 2017 and later released from the investigation. Following the 2022 Russian invasion, she reportedly joined the territorial defense near Kyiv.

Biography

Zaverukha joined Euromaidan and took part in the storming of the Vinnytsia regional state administration in January 2014. She did not belong to any organisation but was active in the area of the far-right and the Right Sector. After the outbreak of war in Donbas in April 2014, she joined the volunteer battalion Aidar, which was active in the Luhansk region.

Zaverukha first became known in Russia for calling for the suppression of the Russian minority in Ukraine and for posting neo-Nazi content on social media. In France and elsewhere she became known following the publication in the French magazine Elle, on 14 November 2014, of a report on women in the armed conflict in Donbas, in which Zaverukha was interviewed and photographed. At the end of December 2014, the Ukrainian-American pianist Valentina Lisitsa discovered that Zaverukha had posted images of herself making the Nazi salute and wearing a swastika, and joined a social media campaign to protest the Elle article. Faced with numerous criticisms, Elle editorial board issued a statement on 30 December saying that it was "shocked" by the news of Zaverukha's neo-Nazi background and condemned any xenophobic, antisemitic, racist and Nazi ideology.

In April 2015 Zaverukha was arrested on charges of participating in an armed robbery at a gas station that had taken place on 4 May 2015 in Kyiv. Reportredly, the police had chased the car carrying a group of robbers from a petrol station. A shootout ensued, two policemen were killed and three wounded, one robber died, and two escaped but were arrested some time later. One of the alleged robbers confessed on camera that Zaverukha had participated in the robbery. According to investigators, the group was preparing a terrorist attack in Kyiv. Following the arrest, Zaverukha and the other suspects in custody claimed that they were subjected to torture.

Since the victims belonged to a police special force (Berkut) that had been responsible for violence against Automaidan in January 2014, and the alleged perpetrators were far-right activists and former volunteers of the Aidar, "Shakhtarsk" Tornado and Azov battalions, their supporters regarded them not as criminals, but as avengers of the people, and believed that the robbery at the gas station was a police set-up. In September 2015, the website of the far-right group All-Ukrainian Organization ″Trident″ named after Stepan Bandera reported that Zaverukha had been awarded the medal "For sacrifice and love for Ukraine" by the Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret. The information was confirmed by Zaverukha's lawyer but not by the Kyiv Patriarchate.

Court hearings in her case were repeatedly postponed, picketed and disrupted, and in November 2016 a people's deputy from Popular Front, Yuriy Tymoshenko [uk], handcuffed himself to Zaverukha during a courtroom hearing and warned that any attempt to remove the wrist bracelets would have been regarded as an attack on the deputy's immunity.

In January 2017 Zaverukha was released on bail (1.6 million hryvnias) paid by Oleksiy Tamrazov and later released from the investigation.

In February she and her partner Oles Chernyak said they were beaten by members of political group C14, which had supported the campaign for their release.

In July 2017 Zaverukha and her partner were involved in an attack on transgender activists in Kyiv.

In 2020, a human rights report by the US State Department stated that Vita Zaverukha and other activists of the Unknown Patriot group were among the suspects in an attack on participants of the 8 March women's rights rally.

It was reported that on July 8 2021, she was involved in counter-demonstrations against environmentalists campaigning to preserve Lake Vyrlytsia.

In March 2022 she reportedly joined the territorial defense near Kyiv.

References

1. ^ Trisko Darden, Jessica; Alexis, Henshaw; Ora, Szekely (March 2019). Insurgent Women: Female Combatants in Civil Wars. Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-1626166660.
2. ^ Etancelin, Valentin (2014-12-31). "Les excuses de ELLE pour son interview d'une néo-nazie ukrainienne". HuffPost (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-22.
3. ^ "L'épouse d'un combattant Azov ayant témoigné à la télévision est-elle néonazie ? Attention, intox". France 24. Cette dernière a arrêtée en mai 2015 à Kiev après une tentative de vol dans une station d'essence, et après avoir tiré sur des policiers selon le média ukrainien KP.
4. ^ TISHCHENKO, MARINA (6 May 2015). "По подозрению в расстреле милиционеров задержана 19-летняя Вита Заверуха" [19-year-old Vita Zaveruha was detained on suspicion of shooting policemen]. kp.ua.
5. ^ "Повна історія справи Заверухи і Ко. Їм можуть "пришити" вбивство Бузини - 20 хвилин" [The full history of the case of Zaverukha and Co. They can "sewn" the murder of Buzyna]. vn.20minut.ua (in Ukrainian). May 13, 2015. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
6. ^ "Заверуху освободили под залог в 1,6 млн гривен" [Zaverukha released on bail of 1.6 million hryvnia]. ТСН.ua (in Russian). 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
7. ^ "Вінницька «месниця» Вітамінка воює в теробороні під Києвом. Знайшли відео Віти Заверухи - 20 хвилин" [Vinnytsia "avenger" Vitaminka is fighting in the territorial defense near Kyiv. We found the video of Vita Zaverukha]. vn.20minut.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-12-11.
8. "Віта Заверуха: "Мені байдуже, коли мене називають "бандерівкою" - 20 хвилин" [Vita Zaverukha: "I don't care when they call me "Banderivka"]. vn.20minut.ua (in Ukrainian). 12 Aug 2014. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
9. Trisko Darden, Jessica; Alexis, Henshaw; Ora, Szekely (March 2019). Insurgent Women: Female Combatants in Civil Wars. Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-1626166660.
10. "Le magazine "Elle" s'excuse après la publication d'une interview d'une néo-nazie ukrainienne". Les Inrocks (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
11. "Comment le magazine ELLE a été berné par une néo-nazi ukrainienne". Radio France Internationale (in French). January 2015.
12. MACKEY, ROBERT (April 8, 2015). "Toronto Orchestra Drops Pianist Over Tweets About Ukraine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015.
13. "Communiqué ELLE". Google Docs. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
14. "Oups, ELLE publie la photo d'une jeune néo-nazie en pleine page". L'Express (in French). 30 December 2014.
15. ^ "Муж Заверухи заявил, что их избили бывшие побратимы из "С14"" [Zaverukha's husband said they were beaten by former sworn brothers]. КП в Украине | КП в Україні | KP in Ukraine (in Russian). February 13, 2017. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
16. "Міліціонери катують Завіруху і "компанію"? - 20 хвилин" [Police officers torturing Zaviruha and "company"?]. vn.20minut.ua (in Ukrainian). 8 May 2015. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
17. "Спільниця підозрюваних у розстрілі міліціонерів заявила про побої (Документ) (фото)" [The accomplice of the suspects in the shooting of the policemen stated about the beatings (Document)]. LB.ua. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
18. "Убийство милиционеров в Киеве: подозреваемая жалуется на давление со стороны силовиков". unian.net.
19. "До вбивства міліціонерів у Києві причетні бійці добровольчих батальйонів" [Fighters of volunteer battalions were involved in the killing of policemen in Kyiv]. 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). 6 May 2015. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
20. "В київських "беркутів" стріляли вінничани. Терористи вони чи месники? - 20 хвилин" [Vinnytsia fired at the Kyiv Golden Eagles. Are they terrorists or avengers?]. vn.20minut.ua (in Ukrainian). 5 May 2015. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
21. "Віту Заверуху нагородили церковним орденом?" [Was Vita Zaveruha awarded a church order?]. vn.20minut.ua. September 23, 2015.
22. "Апеляційний суд почав екстрене засідання щодо підозрюваних у вбивстві міліціонерів" [The case of the murder of policemen at a gas station: clashes near the court, 4 detainees]. Hromadske (in Ukrainian). 1 Oct 2016. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
23. "Нардеп из НФ приковал себя наручниками к Заверухе" [NF deputy handcuffs himself to Zawerucha]. OBOZREVATEL INCIDENT (in Russian). 23 Nov 2016. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
24. Свобода, Радіо (23 Nov 2016). "Апеляційний суд залишив Заверуху, Романюка та Кошелюка під арештом" [The appellate court kept Zaverukha, Romanyuk and Koshelyuk under arrest]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-12-13.
25. Свобода, Радіо (24 Jan 2017). "За Віту Заверуху внесли заставу в 1,6 мільйона гривень, її звільнили з СІЗО – активісти" [A bail of 1.6 million hryvnias was paid for Vita Zaverukha, she was released from pre-trial detention center - activists]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-12-13.
26. "Підозрювану у вбивстві правоохоронців Заверуху випустили с СІЗО під заставу" [Zaverukha, a suspect in the murder of law enforcement officers, was released from the pretrial detention center on bail]. Hromadske (in Ukrainian). 24 Jan 2017. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
27. "Підозрювана у вбивстві правоохоронців Заверуха заявила про побиття з боку «С14»" [Zaverukha, a suspect in the murder of law enforcement officers, stated that she was beaten by "C14"]. Hromadske (in Ukrainian). 2017-02-12. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
28. "Віта Заверуха та її хлопець звинуватили націоналістів у кривавому побитті" [VITA ZAVERUKHA AND HER BOYFRIEND ACCUSED THE NATIONALISTS OF THE BLOODY BEATING]. ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). 2017-02-12. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
29. "Нападение на трансгендеров в Киеве: жертвы узнали двух лиц с криминальным шлейфом" [Attack on transgender people in Kyiv: victims recognized two persons with a criminal "train"]. OBOZREVATEL INCIDENT (in Russian). 2017-07-13. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
30. "HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTS". state.gov.
31. Moskvychova, A.; Pechonchyk, T.; Yankina, L. (2021). The situation of human rights defenders and civil activists in Ukraine in 2021: Monitoring and analytical report. Kyiv: ZMINA Human Rights Centre.

• 1996 births
• Living people
• Pro-Ukrainian people of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
• Military personnel from Vinnytsia
• Pro-Ukrainian people of the war in Donbas
• Ukrainian military personnel of the Russian invasion of Ukraine