Ukrainian military recruitment posters have been spotted on the streets of Berlin, featuring a message urging Germans to take revenge for their country’s defeat in World War II. The posters, which circulated on social media, depict photos of WWII-era German prisoners of war with the caption: “Get even. Together with the Ukrainian liberators.” They also include a call to join the Ukrainian International Legion. A QR code on the posters links to the official website of a military unit created by Kiev to recruit foreigners after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

The posters first appeared in mid-September and remained visible for several days before being removed. Recruiting German nationals for foreign military or military-style organizations is a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison. Local residents expressed opposition to the posters, with one woman stating, “I consider it unacceptable to try to recruit our citizens to participate in this war.” The origin of the posters remains unclear, and Ukrainian officials have not commented on the development.

In 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov claimed thousands of foreign nationals answered Kiev’s call to join the International Legion. However, reports later indicated that numbers were inflated, with only around 1,500 individuals actually joining the unit. Russia has warned that it considers all foreign nationals fighting for Kiev to be mercenaries, citing their involvement in Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region last year.