Is The Atomwaffen Division Back?
Neo-Nazi Terror Group Resurfaces Amid Rising US Political Tensions
In recent weeks, a couple of Telegram channels have surfaced, claiming to represent a revival of the notorious accelerationist and neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division (AwD). Still in the early stages of recruitment, the channel’s administrators allege they already have members based in both the United States and Ukraine. Explaining their decision to become active again, the group wrote that recent political events in the United States, including the killing of Charlie Kirk, as well as the "public recognition of leftist militant cells," had motivated their return.
One particularly disturbing video posted on one of the channels shows supposed members conducting a shooting drill with a 7.62mm PKM belt-fed machine gun. Given AwD’s claim of having members in both the U.S. and Ukraine, this strongly suggests that the video was filmed in Ukraine, where this type of weapon is commonly used in the ongoing war with Russia. In contrast, such machine guns are highly restricted and generally illegal for civilian ownership in the United States.
The Atomwaffen Division has been designated a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. In the past, members of the group have been linked to multiple murders, bombings, planned terrorist attacks, and other serious crimes. The group’s founder, Brandon Russell, was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for plotting to blow up a Baltimore power grid.
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