WASHINGTON, September 19 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Canada has twice refused to extradite Ukrainian Nazi veteran Yaroslav Hunka to Russia and is not conducting its own investigation, Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov told RIA Novosti.

Canada has twice refused to extradite Hunka to Russia. It also does not conduct its own investigation into this SS man from the 'Galicia' division. It seems that in Ottawa, they decided to give him the opportunity to quietly pass away, Stepanov said.

There is no progress in the extradition efforts, he added.

It is outrageous when a Nazi executioner openly and with impunity lives in a country that is a member of the anti-Hitler coalition. And the authorities do not seem at all embarrassed by the fact that all this offends the memory of Canadian veterans who fought against Nazism, the ambassador said.

During World War II, Hunka served in Nazi Germany's Waffen-SS Galicia Division. Russian Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin has told RIA Novosti that Hunka and his accomplices were involved in the killing of at least 500 Soviet citizens, including Jews and Poles.

Hunka currently lives in the Canadian city of North Bay. He celebrated his 100th birthday in March 2025.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar