Denis Ryabtsun, a Ukrainian-Canadian licensed private security employee in Galway is a Neo-Nazi actively trying to recruit a network of right-wing extremists in Ireland. He is believed to be responsible for a recent graffiti tribute to Adolf Hitler beside the Westend Canal that included Hitler’s date of birth along with ‘Heil’ ‘SS’ and other Neo-Nazi symbols and code. He is also one of those responsible for a recent sticker campaign which saw 100’s of stickers with a logo that encourages violence against refugees appear around the city over the past few months.

Ryabtsun has bragged about his activities on various social media platforms and far-right forums, using a series of pseudonyms and the Facebook page Galway 44. This left a digital footprint that allowed his real identity to be uncovered. His entry has since been found on a list of licensed security employees collated by the Private Security Authority of Ireland.

Denis was born in Ukraine but grew up in Canada. He studied history in the University of Toronto and according to his academia.edu profile his research interests included the ‘Radical Right’, ‘Traditionalism’ and ‘Russian Nationalism’

Under one of his pseudonyms ‘Skald Sigfusson’ (a pseudonym also used for a email connected to the Facebook page Galway 44) , Denis made a series of posts on a Neo-Nazi forum that has the tag-line ‘GAS THE KIKES, RACE WAR NOW, 1488 BOOTS ON THE GROUND!’ On this forum he stated that he thinks Jews and members of the LGBTQ community should be killed, amongst other extreme views. In addition to this he has consistently expressed white supremacist, misogynistic and Islamophobic views on the Galway 44 page.

On the aforementioned Neo-Nazi forum Denis also gave away enough biographical details to confirm his identity and outlined his plans to recruit and develop a network of far-right extremists in Ireland. However, at the same time he has a poor view of Irish people as he declares in one post ‘How would I describe the Irish spirit today? Downtrodden, lifeless, blissfully living in fleeting pleasures, chained to alcoholism, tobacco, and gambling. One of the worst places I’ve seen unfortunately.’

Following his initial exposure online Denis made a bizarre facebook post from his account ‘Denys Menace’ where he attempted to distance himself from his own Neo-Nazi views and his page Galway 44. However, despite his insistence that he is merely a ‘Ukrainian Nationalist’ this same account uses the coat of arms of a Waffen SS unit as it’s profile picture.

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