A rocker gang close to the Kremlin is on its way and wants to drive from Moscow to Berlin.
The group should arrive in the German capital by May 9 at the latest.
Whether this will work is highly questionable.
Berlin - The Kremlin-loyal rocker gang of the night wolves wants to drive from Moscow to Berlin.
Led by their boss Alexander Zaldastanov, a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the rockers started in Moscow on Saturday (April 29).
This is reported by the French news agency
AFP
.
The declared aim of the journey, which bears the name "The Roads of Victory", is to commemorate the end of the Second World War.
While May 8th is celebrated as Liberation Day in Germany, it is May 9th in Russia.
The rides of the rockers have become a tradition.
Just like the associated security concerns of the authorities.
Already in 2015, Poland banned the passage of rockers.
According to
AFP,
many rockers have been turned away at the German-Polish border in recent years.
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Putin bikers want to go to Berlin: sanctions and laws speak against it.
(archive image)
© Rolf Zöllner/IMAGO-Images
Motorcycle tour to Berlin: Nationalist rockers from Russia expected for the day of remembrance
Parts of the motorcycle parade held up Russian and Soviet flags at the start in Moscow, as an
AFP
journalist reports.
Also, some are said to have attached the Z symbol to their machines.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it has been seen as a pro-war sign.
Many Russian military vehicles also have a Z painted on them.
Anyone who wears a "Z" in Germany as a sign of support for the war is liable to prosecution.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior announced this in March 2022.
According to paragraph 140 of the Criminal Code, up to three years imprisonment can be imposed for this.
Putin's circle of power in the Kremlin - the confidants of the Russian President
Putin's circle of power in the Kremlin - the confidants of the Russian President
Night wolves in Germany: the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has had an eye on the Putin bikers for a long time
The rocker gang of the night wolves is already well known in Germany.
In 2016, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution warned “several times against targeted actions by Russia to so-called destabilize Germany”.
The organization has been under the special focus of the authorities for several years.
As part of the seventh sanctions package, the EU also put the Night Wolves motorcycle club on the list of sanctioned organizations.
In 2013 and 2015, the nationalist rockers even received funding from the Kremlin, according to the EU.
In 2014, parts of the club were actively involved in the illegal annexation of Crimea.
Persons on the EU sanctions list against the Night Wolves:
Alexander Zaldostanov:
Since he is considered the leader of the motorcycle club
Andrey Bobrowskiy:
Main organizer of the "Roads of Victory" rides
Jozef Hambálek:
President of the European part of the Night Wolves
Alexei Weitz:
Spiritual epidermis of the rockers
Source: EU sanctions list
In addition to the motorcycle club as such, individuals have also been included in the sanctions list because of their activities for the Gray Wolves.
The sanctions include an entry ban for the EU.
In addition, as part of the sanctions, the funds of the rockers in Europe were frozen.
From Moscow to Berlin: will the bikers make it to Germany?
It is highly doubtful whether the night wolves will make it to Berlin.
Last year there were only a few who drove through Berlin on May 9th.
In response to a written inquiry in the Berlin Parliament, the Berlin Senate replied that on May 9, 2022, only 15 vehicles from the Nachtwolfe spectrum were found in Berlin.
However, the bikers did not come from Russia, but from Frankfurt am Main.
The day before, May 8th, only twelve people from the area surrounding the motorcycle club in Berlin were sighted.
For the motorcyclists close to the Kremlin, a visit to Stalingrad and a stop in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region are on the agenda before Berlin, as
AFP
writes.
(Lucas Maier)
List of rubrics: © Rolf Zöllner/IMAGO-Images
