VIENNA, July 18. /TASS/. The problem of aggressive nationalism and neo-Nazism threatens the security of Europe, Russia’s OSCE envoy, Alexander Lukashevich, said on Thursday, commenting on the discovery of an arms cache in Italy, linked to an ultra-right group from Ukraine.

"The problem of aggressive nationalism and neo-Nazism, spreading from the territory of Ukraine, has been a threat to the pan-European security for quite a while. This became quite evident in the wake of a special operation by the Italian police, which led to the discovery of a huge arsenal of weaponry in the city of Turin. It belonged to right-wing extremists who fought in Donbass. Not only Nazi symbols and firearms were discovered, but also an air-to-air missile," Lukashevich told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.

The Russian envoy said that according to Italian police and media, the case involved "five criminals close to Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov battalion." "This battalion took part in Kiev’s operation against the population of Donbass," Lukashevich added.

The Azov battalion originated as paramilitary group to support the Kiev government forces fighting in Eastern Ukraine, but was later incorporated into the Ukrainian National Guard. It widely uses Nazi symbolism and is known for its association with neo-Nazi ideology.

Earlier, Italy’s ANSA news agency reported citing sources in Turin Prosecutor’s Office that an arsenal of combat weapons, including an air-to-air guided missile, was discovered as a result of a surveillance operation that targeted five Italian citizens linked to the Azov Battalion of the Ukrainian National Guard.