Azov Brigade

12th Special Operations Brigade "Azov"
12-та бригада спеціального призначення «Азов»
12-ta bryhada spetsialnoho pryznachennya "Azov"
Azov patch
Active5 May 2014 – present
CountryUkraine Ukraine
BranchSpecial Tasks Patrol Police (2014)
National Guard of Ukraine (2014–present)
TypeMechanized infantry
Size900–2,500 members[1][2][3][needs update]
ColoursBlue and gold
Anniversaries5 May
Engagements
Websiteazov.org.ua
Commanders
Current
commander		Denys Prokopenko (17 July 2023 – present)[4]
Notable
commanders		Andriy Biletsky (May–October 2014)
Ihor Mosiychuk
Vadym Troyan
Maksim Zhorin[5]
Denys Prokopenko (September 2017 – 29 May 2022),[6] (17 July 2023 – present)[4]
Anatoliy Sidorenko (29 May – June 2022)[7]
Mykyta Nadtochiy (June 2022 – 17 July 2023)[5]
Insignia
Banner
Flag
Sleeve patch

The 12th Special Operations Brigade "Azov" (Ukrainian: 12-та бригада спеціального призначення «Азов», romanized: 12-ta bryhada spetsialnoho pryznachennya "Azov")[8] is a formation of the National Guard of Ukraine formerly based in Mariupol, in the coastal region of the Sea of Azov, from which it derives its name.[9] It was founded in May 2014 as the Azov Battalion[a] (Ukrainian: батальйон «Азов», romanized: Batalion "Azov"), a self-funded volunteer militia under the command of Andriy Biletsky, to fight Russian-backed forces in the Donbas War. It was formally incorporated into the National Guard on 11 November 2014,[11][12] and redesignated Special Operations Detachment "Azov",[b] also known as the Azov Regiment.[c] In February 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that Azov was to be expanded as a brigade of the new Offensive Guard.[13][14]

The unit has drawn controversy over its early and allegedly continuing association with far-right groups and neo-Nazi ideology,[15] its use of controversial symbols linked to Nazism, and early allegations that members of the unit participated in human rights violations.[16][17][18] Some experts have been critical of the regiment's role within the larger Azov Movement, a political umbrella group made up of veterans and organizations linked to Azov, and its possible far-right political ambitions, despite claims of the regiment's depoliticization.[19][10] Others argue that the regiment has changed, tempering its far-right underpinnings as it became part of the National Guard.[20][21][11] The Azov Regiment has been a recurring theme of Russian propaganda.[22]

The regiment's size was estimated to be around 2,500 combatants in 2017,[3] and around 900 in 2022.[23] Most of the unit's members are Russian speakers from Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine. It also includes members from other countries.[11] The regiment gained renewed attention during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian president Vladimir Putin alleged that Ukraine was controlled by far-right forces, such as Azov, and gave "denazification" as a reason for the invasion. The Azov regiment played a prominent role in the siege of Mariupol and made its final stand at the Azovstal steel plant.[24][25] The siege ended when a significant number of the regiment's fighters, including its commander, Denys Prokopenko, surrendered to Russian forces on orders from the Ukrainian high command. The unit has been designated a terrorist group by Russia since August 2022,[26] after which Russia began sentencing Azov POWs in sham trials to punish them for defending Ukraine.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reuters17MayNumberOfMembers was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Sprinter, Dinah (4 March 2022). "Jewish Ukrainians gear up for fierce Russia fight, alongside the 'neo-Nazis' they say Putin is lying about". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference spiegel.de was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Azov Brigade commander meets with personnel, announces his return to service". Ukrinform. 16 July 2023. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Новым командиром "Азова" назначили эвакуированного из Мариуполя на вертолете Надточия". 18 June 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference denys was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "В Харькове заявили о создании нового спецподразделения "Азов"". 30 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Історія АЗОВу: Від батальйону до бригади" [AZOV history: From battalion to brigade]. azov.org.ua (in Ukrainian).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference npu-2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AUnian16916 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b c "The Defenders of Mariupol". Tablet Magazine. 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hume-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "Azov regiment expands to brigade within National Guard of Ukraine". Yahoo! News. 9 February 2023. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  14. ^ Kuznetsova, Kateryna (8 February 2023). До штурмових бригад "Гвардія наступу" вже долучилося понад 500 дівчат — МВС. TSN (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference sources neo-Nazi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference telegraph-20220318 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jones-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sheerin-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fires was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Ivan Gomza (April 2022). "Too Much Ado About Ukrainian Nationalists: the Azov Movement and the War in Ukraine". Krytyka. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  21. ^ Ritzmann, Alexander (12 April 2022). "The myth that far-right zealots run Ukraine is Russian propaganda". Euronews. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022.
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sudarsan-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference AlJazeera-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference vhnyt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ "'Defenders of Mariupol are the heroes of our time': the battle that gripped the world". The Guardian. 17 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference AP NEWS-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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