Russia's "Night Wolves" Revisit Berlin on the Anniversary of WWII End
Biker Group 'Nationalist Night Wolves' Cruise Through Berlin City Streets - Motorcycle gang "Night Wolves," associated with nationalist sentiments, traversing Berlin streets
The nitty-gritty: This ain't no ordinary bike gang. The Night Wolves, a Russion motorcycle club allied with the Kremlin, are making a return to Berlin, spiriting through the streets like spectral wraiths on phantom hogs.
They're here for the memorials, you see. These biker boys are gonna lay wreaths and spout propaganda at the Tiergarten and Treptower Park memorials, the places where the jacked-up Soviet masses earned their eternal rest. And they ain't alone: They've registered 200 bikers, but the cops are downplaying that number, claiming it's gonna be less.
The cops have their hands full, too. They're skulking in the shadows, following the Wolves from the city border all the way to Treptow, ensuring everything remains nice and peaceful. The cops are keeping a close eye, too, for any Soviet flags getting flaunted at the memorials. No Russians allowed to show off their red victories here.
The Night Wolves are a bunch of Vlad Putin-loving, Crimea- bunch-grabbing, neonazi wannabes, so the police are on the lookout for any war-glorifying symbols they've got plastered on their vests.
For a taste of what's to come, these Russian bikers already made an appearance in Brandenburg, laying down wreaths at memorial sites in Schönwalde and Baruth before rolling into Berlin.
The Night Wolves kicked off their marathon commemorative journey in Moscow in late April. They're on a journey reminiscent of their controversial "victory ride" from Moscow to Berlin, a trip that caused a stir back in 2015, with German authorities revoking several members' visas and buttonholing their entry.
- Berlin
- Night Wolf
- Police
- Motorcyclists
- War's end
- Memorial
- Treptow
- Treptower Park
- Brandenburg
Know thy Enemy: The Night Wolves
The Night Wolves, short for "The Night Riders," are a Russian motorcycle club founded by former Soviet paratrooper and disc jockey Alexander Zaldostanov, also known as "The Surgeon." The club is infamously close with the Kremlin and has been implicated in ultra-nationalist and pro-Putin activities.
The Night Wolves' annual rides from Moscow to Berlin, the so-called "Victory Rides," are held to commemorate the Soviet Union's victory in World War II. However, these rides are also seen as a show of Russian cultural and political influence in Europe.
Historical Context
In 2025, the Night Wolves' ride is part of the 80th anniversary celebrations of the end of World War II. The club's visits to memorials and historical sites in Europe are often accompanied by political statements and expressions of solidarity with Russian positions.
In countries like the Czech Republic, authorities have been monitoring the Night Wolves' movements closely due to concerns about extremism and potential violations of sanctions against Russian individuals. In Berlin, the police are present to maintain order and ensure events remain peaceful amid protests from anti-Russian activists.
- The Night Wolves, motorcyclists accompanied by the police, are revisiting Berlin to lay wreaths and propagate at the Tiergarten and Treptower Park memorials, commemorating the site of Soviet masses' eternal rest, a tradition that continues even after 80 years since the end of World War II.
- Police in Brandenburg were much anticipating the arrival of the Night Wolves, having already encountered them during their previous visit, when they laid wreaths at memorial sites in Schönwalde and Baruth.
- Despite their closed alliance with the Kremlin, the Night Wolves have faced resistance in some European countries, as in 2015 when German authorities revoked several members' visas during their controversial "victory ride" from Moscow to Berlin.
- The Night Wolves, led by their founder Alexander Zaldostanov, are politically charged, and their rides carry the dual purpose of commemorating the Soviet Union's victory in World War II and asserting Russian cultural and political influence in Europe.
- Amidst the staged displays of nationalist sentiments, law enforcement in Berlin keeps a vigilant eye on potential war-glorifying symbols and Soviet flags, as well as maintaining order during protests from anti-Russian activists.
