Slovakia alarmed by pro-Putin Night Wolves bikers' base

I have never heard of this biker gang in Russia but this story really struck my eye, I searched on here and surprisingly didn't find anything so I thought I'd share.

This biker gang has close ties to Putin and has been accused of the US for fighting side by side with Russian soldiers in Crimea, and subsequently have been sanctioned.

They just set up a "European Headquarters" in Slovakia that looks like a compound and even has old tanks and armored personnel carriers, which they say is for when they turn the place into a WWII museum. Here is some drone footage of the compound



The following will be from a BBC article.

The Slovak foreign ministry says it is "disturbing" that the Night Wolves - a Russian nationalist biker gang close to President Vladimir Putin - now have a base in Slovakia.

The base has old military vehicles and lies in Dolna Krupa, a village 70km (44 miles) from the capital Bratislava.

Slovak foreign ministry spokesman Peter Susko told the BBC that the Night Wolves' activities would have to be "carefully monitored".

"We think the influence of their members is harmful, especially in spreading their opinions that strive to rewrite history," he said in a phone interview.

When asked to specify those controversial opinions he said "that Crimea is, was and will be Russian, that Stalin was a great hero, that Nato is a criminal organisation, etc".

A Slovak nationalist group called NV Europa, led by Jozef Hambalek, is sharing the compound with the Night Wolves.

Mr Hambalek owns the site, which was previously a pig farm, Slovak media report. Last week he threatened Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists who were filming outside the base.

The Russian bikers say they are turning the site into a World War Two museum honouring Soviet units who used motorbikes.

Speaking on Tuesday, Slovak President Andrej Kiska called the Night Wolves "a tool of the regime that has been involved in the occupation of a neighbouring country" - referring to Russia's intervention in Ukraine.

He called the bikers' base "a serious security risk" for Slovakia.

Their leader Alexander Zaldostanov - known as "The Surgeon" - has appeared often alongside President Putin. Indeed, in 2011 Mr Putin rode with the Night Wolves at a biker festival in Novorossiysk. In 2013 Mr Putin pinned a Russian Medal of Honour on Mr Zaldostanov.

The US government says the Night Wolves "have been closely connected to the Russian special services, have helped to recruit separatist fighters for Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine, and were deployed to the cities of Luhansk and Kharkiv".

It says that during the annexation of Crimea the Night Wolves "participated in the storming of the gas distribution station in Strikolkove and the storming of the Ukrainian Naval Forces Headquarters in Sevastopol".

So I see why Slovakia is concerned a group accused of being Russian paramilitaries essentially has an army base in their country. Keep in mind Slovakia is a member of NATO and the EU.

Sounds pretty ominous. Next thing you know, they'll want to have their noses in everybody's business and have military bases all over the place, maybe even in more than 74 countries. Like the U.S. And tell you what, if they're not the Hell's Angels, you know they're up to no good! If they have oil, I say bomb them! (If just coffee beans, replace them with a psychotic dictator, for God, country and Maxwell House.)

Ignore. I know, know I clicked one time to submit, and got a double post. It's aliens, I tell you! We're under attack!

a reply to: Scrutinizing

I find it ironic they are buffering the state from liability by using contractors/paramilitary, wonder where they got that idea?

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: Scrutinizing

I find it ironic they are buffering the state from liability by using contractors/paramilitary, wonder where they got that idea?

Really! Somebody form Al Qaeda or ISIS shared a 202 area code number with them?

a reply to: CriticalStinker

It looks like an art exhibit to me.

Putin tried to unite patched bikers worldwide. That resulted in the Waco biker executions.

Plan B.

It's art. Relax.

a reply to: Scrutinizing

Well it's basically like if Hell's Angels retired from their classic criminal enterprises, were personally endorsed by Trump or Obama or some other president, made him an honorary member, and started receiving government funding. Heh, Russia is Russia. But I think it's slightly ominous.

I sure don't like how they're making excuses for Stalin all the time, trying to erase the crimes of Communism from history. Just because Stalin fought against Hitler doesn't make him a hero.

a reply to: Cutepants

Agreed. Stalin fought for survival and territory, not the good of the world.

Between Putin and Trump, almost seems like bikers are becoming the new Brownshirts.

originally posted by: Cutepants

I sure don't like how they're making excuses for Stalin all the time, trying to erase the crimes of Communism from history. Just because Stalin fought against Hitler doesn't make him a hero.

Truly, Stalin was awful, in real way more of a lowbrow thug than Hitler. Stalin was more like a crazy Roman emperor, that simply murdered anyone and everyone. No hero, you've got that right, Stalin just an awful, awful man, psycho as hell. The tragedy of the Holocaust sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb, but the tragedy that went on inside Russia was of the same, horrific scale.

a reply to: Scrutinizing

Stalin was more like a crazy Roman emperor

But Ameirca militarily occupying half the world with an militarily force, yeah i am sure the Americans are just occpying the world for peace and security.

Slovakia should be worried about having a govt which actively supports Nazism in Europe , jihadis in Syria and all over the middle east and which perfectly covers up Drug trafficking and pedophilia rings.

Meanwhile, Turkey has had actual military armor and tanks in and out of Syria over the past year or so...