Sergei Bunyachenko: Soviet Colonel Turned Nazi Collaborator in WW2

Sergei Bunyachenko, a high-ranking Soviet officer turned Nazi collaborator during the Second World War, is a story of betrayal, ideological conflict, and brutal retribution. Born in 1902 into a poor Ukrainian family, Bunyachenko joined the Red Army at age 15 and fought in the Russian Civil War. A graduate of the Odessa Military Academy and later the Frunze Military Academy, he climbed the ranks quickly. However, his career was marred by criticism of Soviet agricultural collectivization policies, which nearly led to his expulsion from the Communist Party. He survived the Great Purge but not the chaos of World War 2. Captured by Axis forces in 1942, Bunyachenko soon became influenced by General Andrey Vlasov, a fellow Soviet defector. In 1943, Bunyachenko joined the German-backed Russian Liberation Army (ROA), composed of Soviet prisoners of war and volunteers who sought to overthrow Stalin. He eventually rose to lead the army's 1st Infantry Division, commanding over 20,000 men. In an ironic twist, in May 1945, he ordered his division to assist Czech partisans in the Prague Uprising—fighting against the SS they once served alongside. Despite surrendering to the Americans, Bunyachenko and his men were forcibly repatriated to the Soviet Union under Allied agreements. In 1946, he was tried for treason alongside Vlasov and ten others. The outcome was predetermined: they were all sentenced to death. On August 1, 1946, Bunyachenko was hanged in Moscow, his body cremated and dumped into an unmarked grave. Once celebrated as a Soviet war hero, he died a condemned traitor, used by both sides and abandoned by historyThis episode is part of the series High Ranking Fascist Collaborators [Military].Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv