Why has Britain banned a neo-Nazi terrorist group that ‘no longer exists’?

Analysis: Feuerkrieg Division claimed it ‘officially dissolved’ in February and members have already spread to new online groups, reports Lizzie Dearden. The government’s move shows the difficulty of keeping up with the far right

Two UK members of Feuerkrieg Division in a picture posted in an online chat (Eugene Antifa)

Few people will have heard of Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), which is soon to become the sixth neo-Nazi group banned in the UK. Allegedly started by a 13-year-old Estonian boy in 2018, its members span more than a dozen countries and few have ever met in person.

Like other emerging neo-Nazi groups, it exists primarily online, with members sharing their ideology, propaganda, terror manuals and attack plots under pseudonyms in encrypted chats. Membership estimates range between 50 and 80 worldwide, and many of those are believed to be teenagers.

Announcing her intention to proscribe FKD as a terrorist group on Monday, Priti Patel said: “This vile white supremacist group advocates violence and seeks to sow division, targeting young and vulnerable people online.”