Sergei Bunyachenko: Soviet Colonel Turned Nazi Collaborator in WW2

World History: True Stories of the 20th Century · Mar 23, 2026 · 11m

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…