The suspects were detained in a series of raids this week in the cities of Perm, Samara, Ulyanovsk and Volgograd – the latter being the scene of the world’s bloodiest WWII Battle of Stalingrad.

Faced with the evidence, three of the four suspects have confessed to putting up the photos of the likes of Adolf Hitler, SS chief Heinrich Himmler and Nazi collaborators onto the website of Immortal Regiment Online, with two of the men saying it was a joke that “didn’t work out.”

The Investigative Committee has meanwhile equated their actions to “endorsing the crimes of the Nazi regime established by the verdict of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg” as it opened a criminal case into each. In Russia, this charge may result in a hefty fine or even a prison sentence for a guilty verdict.

READ MORE: Investigation opened after photos of HITLER & HIMMLER uploaded to Russian online WWII victory celebration

The Immortal Regiment march has become a highlight of the Victory Day celebrations in the post-Soviet space and for diasporas across the world. But this year’s Covid-19 pandemic prevented the people from actually marching with the pictures of their parents or grandparents to honor their role in the WWII.

Instead, some cities went ahead with flash-mob-like actions, with the self-isolating participants showing their placards from their balconies – and a website has been set up to enable everyone to take part.

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