Azov Special Operations Unit
Підрозділ спеціального призначення «Азов»
Logo of the Azov Battalion
Active	5 May 2014 – present
Country	Ukraine
Branch	National Guard of Ukraine
Type	Infantry
Role	Gendarmerie, national security.
Size	900–1500 members[1]
Garrison/HQ	Urzuf, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine[citation needed] Other HQs and detachments in Kyiv, Berdiansk, and Mariupol
Colours	Blue and gold
Anniversaries	5 May
Engagements	War in Donbas Battle of Mariupol Battle in Shakhtarsk Raion Battle of Ilovaisk Battle of Novoazovsk Offensive on Mariupol Second Battle of Donetsk Airport Shyrokyne standoff Battle of Marinka 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Eastern Ukraine offensive Siege of Mariupol Battle of Volnovakha Kyiv offensive
Commanders
Current commander	Denys Prokopenko
Current Chief of Staff	Ihor Klymenko
Notable commanders	Former commanders: Maksym Zhorin (Aug 2016 – March 2017) Ihor Mykhailenko (October 2014 – August 2016)[citation needed] Andriy Biletsky (May–October 2014) Others: Dmytro Linko, Ihor Mosiychuk, Igor Tcherkass, Vadym Troyan

The Azov Special Operations Detachment (Ukrainian: Окремий загін спеціального призначення «Азов», romanized: Okremyi zahin spetsialnoho pryznachennia "Azov"), also known as Azov Regiment (Ukrainian: Полк Азов, romanized: Polk Azov) or Azov Battalion (until September 2014), is a neo-Nazi^[2][3][4][5] former paramilitary group that is now a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine,^[6][7][5] based in Mariupol, in the Azov Sea coastal region.^[8] Azov formed as a volunteer militia in May 2014,^[9] and has since been fighting Russian separatist forces in the Donbas War. It first saw combat recapturing Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists in June 2014.^[6] It initially operated as a volunteer police company, until it was formally incorporated into the National Guard on 11 November 2014.^[10][11][12] In the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the battalion gained renewed attention for its use by Russia in justifying the invasion and during the Siege of Mariupol for its role in the defense of the city.^[13]

The battalion drew controversy over allegations of torture and war crimes, as well as neo-Nazi sympathies.^[14] It has used controversial symbols,^{[15][16][17][18]} including their logo, which resembles a Wolfsangel,^[2] a pagan symbol^[19] which was also used by some WW2 German Military units. Azov representatives deny links with neo-Nazism and state that the logo is an abbreviation of the slogan "National Idea" (Ukrainian: Ідея Нації, romanized: Ideya Natsiyi).^[15] In March 2015, a battalion spokesman told USA Today that around 10–20% of the unit were Nazis.^[20][21] A provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, passed by the United States Congress, blocked military aid to Azov due to its white supremacist ideology; in 2015, a similar ban had been overturned by Congress.^[2][3] Members of the battalion came from 22 countries and are of various backgrounds.^[22][23] In 2017, the size of the regiment was estimated at more than 2,500 members,^[24] but was estimated to be 900 members in 2022.^[25]

In 2016, veterans of the regiment and members of the Azov Civil Corps, an Azov-affiliated non-governmental organization, founded the political party National Corps.^[26] The party's first leader was Andriy Biletsky, who had previously been involved in the far right Social-National Assembly and founded the Patriot of Ukraine party.^[27][28]

History

Special Tasks Patrol Police

The Azov Battalion has its roots in a group of ultras of FC Metalist Kharkiv named "Sect 82" (1982 is the year of the founding of the group).^[29] "Sect 82" was (at least until September 2013) allied with FC Spartak Moscow ultras.^[29] Late February 2014, during the 2014 Ukrainian crisis when a separatist movement was active in Kharkiv, "Sect 82" occupied the Kharkiv Oblast regional administration building in Kharkiv and served as a local "self-defense force."^[29] Soon after, a company of the Special Tasks Patrol Police called "Eastern Corps" was formed on the basis of "Sect 82".^[29]

On 13 April 2014, Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov issued a decree authorizing the creation of new paramilitary forces of up to 12,000 people.^[30] The Azov Battalion was formed on 5 May 2014 in Berdiansk^[12] by a white nationalist.^[31][who?] Azov was started as one of the Ukrainian volunteer battalions of the Special Tasks Patrol Police regulated by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry.^[12] According to some sources, it was led by Volodymyr Shpara, the leader of the Vasylkiv, Kyiv, branch of Patriot of Ukraine and Right Sector.^[32][33][34]

Many members of the political party Patriot of Ukraine joined the battalion.^[35][29] Among the early patrons of the battalion were Oleh Lyashko, a member of the Verkhovna Rada, ultra-nationalist Dmytro Korchynsky, businessman Serhiy Taruta, and Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov.^[36][29] The battalion received training near Kyiv by instructors with experience in the Georgian Armed Forces.^[29] The battalion started in Mariupol where it was involved in combat,^[6] and was briefly relocated to Berdiansk.^[37]

On 10 June, the battalion dismissed deputy commander Yaroslav Honchar and distanced themselves from him after Honchar made statements critical of looting and debauchery in the Azov battalion.^[38] Igor Mosiychuk became deputy commander.^[39]

In June 2014, Anton Herashchenko (an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs) said that it was planned that the Azov Battalion would have a strength of 400 personnel, and the salary for volunteers would be 4,300 hryvnia ($360)^[40] per month.^[39] Contract soldiers were paid 1,505 hryvnia per month.^[39]

On 11 August, the Azov Battalion, backed by Ukrainian paratroopers, captured Marinka from pro-Russian rebels and entered the suburbs of Donetsk, clashing with Donetsk People's Republic fighters.^[41]

In early September 2014, the Azov Battalion was engaged in the Second Battle of Mariupol.^[42] Regarding the ceasefire agreed on 5 September, Azov commander Andriy Biletsky stated: "If it was a tactical move there is nothing wrong with it […] if it's an attempt to reach an agreement concerning Ukrainian soil with separatists then obviously it's a betrayal."^[43] At this time, Azov had 500 members.^[31]

National Guard

Background

In September 2014, the Azov Battalion was expanded from a battalion to a regiment and enrolled into the National Guard of Ukraine.^[12][35] At this time, the unit worked to de-politicize itself: its far-right leadership left and founded the National Corps political party,^[44] which works with its associated activist organization, the Azov Civil Corps. Around this time Azov started receiving increased supplies of heavy arms. The national socialist "Patriot of Ukraine" websites were shut down or put under restricted access.^[35] Following its official enrollment in the National Guard, Azov received official funding from the Ukrainian Interior Ministry and other sources (believed to be Ukrainian oligarchs).^[35] Azov commander Andriy Biletsky claimed that while Azov volunteers were officially paid 6,000 hryvnia ($316) per month, they really received around 10,000 hryvnia ($526) per month.^[35]

Further dates and activities

• On 14 October 2014, Azov Battalion servicemen took part in a march to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in Kyiv organized by the Right Sector.^[45]
• On 31 October 2014, deputy commander of the Azov Battalion Vadym Troyan was appointed head of Kyiv Oblast (province) police (this police force has no jurisdiction over the city of Kyiv).^[46]
• On 11 November 2014, the Azov Battalion was officially incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine.^[12]
• As of late March 2015, despite a second ceasefire agreement (Minsk II), the Azov Battalion continued to prepare for war, with the group's leader seeing the ceasefire as "appeasement".^{[35][dubious – discuss]}
• In August 2015, the Ukrainian government pulled all volunteer battalions, including the Azov Regiment, off the front lines around Mariupol, replacing them with regular military units.^[47] The Azov Regiment was^[who?] moved to a base in Urzuf, in the former seaside villa of deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the southwest of Mariupol.^{[citation needed]}
• Beginning in 2015, Azov has organized summer camps where children and teenagers receive combat training mixed with lectures on Ukrainian nationalism.^[29][16]
• On 27 April 2016, 300 troops and light-armored vehicles from the regiment were assigned to Odessa to safeguard public order after Oblast Governor Mikheil Saakashvili wrote in social media about a rash of pro-Russian "titushki" attacks on civilians.^[48] In 2017, the size of the regiment was estimated at more than 2,500 members.^[24]
• In March 2022, Deutsche Welle reported that the battalion was the primary unit defending Mariupol in the siege of Mariupol.^[49] The battalion was noted for well-produced drone videos and other media of its military activities.^[14]

International reception

U.S. Arms and training

In March 2015 Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced that the Azov Regiment would be among the first units to be trained by United States Army troops in their Operation Fearless Guardian training mission.^[50][51] US training however was withdrawn on 12 June 2015, as the US House of Representatives passed an amendment blocking any aid (including arms and training) to the battalion due to its neo-Nazi background.^[52][53] However, the amendment was later removed in November 2015,^[52] with James Carden writing in The Nation that the "House Defense Appropriations Committee came under pressure from the Pentagon to remove the Conyers-Yoho amendment from the text of the bill."^[54]

Azov published a media release on its website on 20 November 2017 stating that it had met with a foreign delegation of officers from the United States Armed Forces and Canadian Armed Forces on 16 November.^{[55][third-party source needed]} Writing for Jacobin, Branko Marcetic says that members of Azov have been pictured meeting with U.S. military and NATO officials.^[56]

US Democrats request for designation as Foreign Terrorist Organization

In October 2019, members of the US House of Representatives from the Democratic Party requested that the Azov Battalion and two other far-right groups be classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US State Department, citing recent acts of right-wing violence such as the Christchurch mosque shootings earlier that year. The request spurred protests by Azov's supporters in Ukraine.^[57][58][59]

In February 2020, the Atlantic Council published an article by Anton Shekhovtsov which argued forcefully "Why Azov should not be designated a foreign terrorist organization" because it was now "a regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard that is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs," that the links with Brenton Tarrant^{[clarification needed]} had been overdone, and cited a Federal Court decision which was detrimental to the terrorist theory.^[60]

On the other hand the Jerusalem Post carried an article in October 2021 that cited an Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies report about another far right group, Centuria, which noted that it is "led by people with ties to" the Azov movement and that its members received training from Western countries while at the Hetman Petro Sahaidachny National Army Academy (NAA). "One NAA cadet was apparently involved as a firearms instructor with an Azov-linked far-right group that the United Jewish Community of Ukraine accused of spreading antisemitic propoganda in 2021."^{[61][undue weight? – discuss]}

Use in Russian propaganda

In justifying the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Battalion has played a central role in claims of "denazifying" Ukraine, with Russian media inflating its presence and influence within Ukraine to paint of picture of the whole of the Ukrainian government and military as under Nazi control.^[62][63][64]

Leadership and organization

The regiment's first commander was Andriy Biletsky.^[14] Biletsky stayed out of the public spotlight working on expanding Azov to battalion size. In summer 2014, he took command of the unit. In August 2014, he was awarded the military decoration "Order For Courage" by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Interior Ministry's police forces.^[65] After Biletsky was elected into the Ukrainian parliament in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election he left the battalion in October 2016 (Ukrainian elected officials can not be in the military, nor the police).^[27][28]

A 16 July 2014 report placed the Azov Battalion's strength at 300.^[7] An earlier report stated that on 23 June almost 600 volunteers, including women, took oaths to join the "Donbass" and "Azov" battalions.^[66] The unit included 900 volunteers as of March 2015^[update].^[67]

The battalion was originally nicknamed the "Men in Black" or "Black Corps" (Ukrainian: "Chorny Korpus"), a counter to Russia's Little Green Men due to their use of all-black fatigues and masks when raiding pro-Russian checkpoints.^{[citation needed]}

Current status

Ukraine decided to turn all volunteer battalions—both the Territorial Defence Battalions associated with the armed forces, and the Special Tasks Patrol Police of the interior ministry—into regular units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard, respectively.^[when?] Azov is one of the latter. The Ukrainian government also opted to deploy only volunteer units to the Donbas front,^[68] pledging that conscripts would not be sent into combat.

In January 2015, Azov Battalion was officially upgraded to a regiment and its structures took a definite shape. A mobilization center and a training facility was established in Kyiv, in former industrial complex "ATEK" for selection and examination; and the personnel, composed by volunteers from all over Ukraine, has to pass through a screening and vetting process, quite similar to army's mobilization procedures.^[69]

Recruits are then assigned to the combat units of the regiments, or to support and supply units, where they undertake intensive combat drills training. Reconnaissance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units are considered the élite of Azov and are manned by most experienced personnel (typically, former Ukrainian Army special forces or similar).^[69]

"Azov" is now officially called "Special Operations Detachment", with combat duties focused on reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, EOD, interdiction and special weapons operations. The regiment is the only territorial defense unit of its size in the NGU.^{[citation needed]}

Foreign membership

According to The Daily Telegraph, the Azov Battalion's extremist politics and professional English social media pages have attracted foreign fighters,^[41] including people from Brazil, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Greece, Scandinavia,^[7][41] Spain, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Russia.^[7][70][71] About 50 Russian nationals are members of the Azov regiment.^[72] The group has used Facebook to recruit far-right individuals from other countries within Europe.^[73] In 2019, under Facebook's Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy, support for the group was not allowed,^[74] although this was temporarily relaxed during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[75]

Around 20 Croatians joined the Azov Battalion in January 2015, ranging in age from 20 to 45.^[76][77] After Croatia's foreign minister Vesna Pusić confirmed that there are Croatian volunteers in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry called Croatia to withdraw its citizens from armed conflict. Pusić replied that Croatia opposes any involvement of Croatian citizens in the war, and stated that they went on their private initiative and that Croatia is working on bringing them home.^[78] Interior minister Ranko Ostojić said that Croatian volunteers are fighting on the side of the legitimate Ukrainian government and are not committing any kind of crime according to Croatian law.^[79]

According to Adrian Karatnycky of the Atlantic Council, the 2015 Minsk Ceasefire Agreement speaks of the withdrawal of foreign fighters.^[80] However, the regiment continued to attract foreign fighters: in 2020, for example, these included an ex-British army serviceman Chris Garrett and a 33-year-old former soldier of the Greek army and French Foreign Legion known by the nom-de-guerre of "The Greek".^[81]

In late 2016, Brazilian investigators uncovered an alleged plot to recruit Brazilian far-right activists for the Azov Battalion.^[82][83]

American white nationalists have unsuccessfully tried to join Azov. In 2016, Andrew Oneschuk, who later joined the neo-Nazi terrorist group Atomwaffen Division, Skyped into an Azov podcast in 2016.^[84] In 2019, the FBI arrested a 24-year-old American soldier who wanted to travel to Ukraine to join the Regiment.^[85] And in 2020, Ukraine deported two American Atomwaffen members who wanted to join the Regiment.^[85]

Human rights violations and war crimes

Reports published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have connected the Azov Battalion to war crimes such as mass looting, unlawful detention, and torture.^[86][87] An OHCHR report from March 2016 stated that the organization had "collected detailed information about the conduct of hostilities by Ukrainian armed forces and the Azov regiment in and around Shyrokyne (31km east of Mariupol), from the summer of 2014 to date. Mass looting of civilian homes was documented, as well as targeting of civilian areas between September 2014 and February 2015."^[86]

Another OHCHR report documented an instance of rape and torture, writing: "A man with a mental disability was subject to cruel treatment, rape and other forms of sexual violence by 8 to 10 members of the 'Azov' and 'Donbas' (another Ukrainian battalion) battalions in August–September 2014. The victim's health subsequently deteriorated and he was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital."^[87] A report from January 2015 stated that a Donetsk Republic supporter was detained and tortured with electricity and waterboarding, which resulted in his confessing to spying for pro-Russian militants.^[87]

Ideology

Neo-Nazism

The Azov Battalion has been described as a far-right militia,^[42][14] with connections to neo-Nazism and members wearing neo-Nazi and SS symbols and regalia, and expressing neo-Nazi views.^[41][18] The group's insignia features the Wolfsangel,^[89][90] a German heraldic charge inspired by historic wolf traps adopted by the Nazi Party, and used to feature the Black Sun,^[17][91][92] both of which remain two popular neo-Nazi symbols.^[16][17][18] Azov soldiers have been observed wearing Nazi-associated symbols on their uniforms.^[93] In 2014, the German ZDF television network showed images of Azov fighters wearing helmets with swastika symbols and "the SS runes of Hitler's infamous black-uniformed elite corps".^[94] In 2015, Marcin Ogdowski, a Polish war correspondent, gained access to one of Azov's bases located in the former holiday resort Majak; Azov fighters showed him Nazi tattoos as well as Nazi emblems on their uniforms.^[95][14]

Azov's founding member Andriy Biletsky, leader of the far right Social-National Assembly (SNA), had stated in 2010 that "the historic mission of our nation" was to lead the "white races of the world in a final crusade for their survival […] a crusade against the Semite-led Untermenschen", an ideology that political scientist Richard Sakwa traces to the National Integralism of 1920s and 1930s.^[96] In 2014, political science lecturer Ivan Katchanovski commented to Radio Sweden on the founder's origins as Patriot of Ukraine, saying: "The SNA/PU [Patriot of Ukraine] advocates a neo-Nazi ideology along with ultranationalism and racism. The same applies to […] members of the Azov battalion and many football ultras and others who serve in this formation."^{[97][better source needed]}

Shaun Walker wrote in The Guardian that "many of [Azov's] members have links with neo-Nazi groups, and even those who laughed off the idea that they are neo-Nazis did not give the most convincing denials", citing swastika tattoos among the fighters and one who claimed to be a "national socialist".^[18] According to The Daily Beast, some of the group's members are "neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and avowed anti-Semites",^[58] and "numerous swastika tattoos of different members and their tendency to go into battle with swastikas or SS insignias drawn on their helmets make it very difficult for other members of the group to plausibly deny any neo-Nazi affiliations."^[98] Bellingcat, an investigative journalist group, has traced ties between the Azov movement and American white supremacist groups.^[14]

Ukrainian affairs writer Lev Golinkin wrote in The Nation that "Post-Maidan Ukraine is the world's only nation to have a neo-Nazi formation in its armed forces."^[5] Michael Colborne of Bellingcat, writing in Foreign Policy, called the Azov movement "a dangerous neo-Nazi-friendly extremist movement" with "global ambitions", citing similarities between the group's ideology and symbolism and that of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter, along with efforts by the group to recruit American right-wing extremists.^[59] In an Atlantic Council article, Bellingcat's Oleskiy Kuzmenko wrote that the far right in general significantly damaged Ukraine's international reputation creating a vulnerability to hostile narratives that exaggerate its role.^[14][99]

A spokesman for the unit has said "only 10–20%" of its recruits are Nazis, with one commander attributing neo-Nazi ideology to misguided youth.^[67] Members of the unit have stated that the inverted Wolfsangel, rather than connected to Nazism, represents the Ukrainian words for "united nation"^[18][46] or "national idea" (Ukrainian: Ідея Нації, Ideya Natsii).^[18][90][a]

In June 2015, the Canadian defense minister declared that Canadian forces would not provide training or support to Azov Battalion.^[100] In 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives also passed a provision blocking any training of Azov members by American forces, citing its neo-Nazi connections. The House had previously passed amendments banning support of Azov between 2014 and 2017, but due to pressure from The Pentagon, the amendments were quietly lifted.^{[3][101][102]} This was protested by the Simon Wiesenthal Center which stated that lifting the ban highlighted the danger of Holocaust distortion in Ukraine.^[102]

Connection to antisemitism

In 2018, more than 40 Israeli human rights activists signed a petition to stop arms sales to Ukraine arguing that Israel is selling military-style Tavor and Negev automatic weapons to the Ukrainian government knowing that some of these arms end up in the hands of the right-wing Azov militia.^[103]

Despite accusations that the group is antisemitic, some members of the Jewish community in Ukraine support and serve in the Azov Battalion. A 2018 BBC report gave the example of one of its most prominent members, co-founder Nathan Khazin, a leader of the "Jewish hundreds" during the 2013 Euromaidan protests in Kyiv.^[104] Jewish-Ukrainian billionaire Igor Kolomoyskyi was the main source of Azov's funding before it was incorporated into the National Guard. ^[105][106]

In a 2018 interview, Andriy Biletsky explained that he regards Israel and Japan as role models for the development of Ukraine.^[107]

Slavic paganism

Most soldiers of Azov are followers of a Ukrainian nationalist type of Rodnovery (Slavic Native Faith), wherefrom they derive some of their symbolism (such as a variation of the swastika symbol kolovrat). They have also established Rodnover shrines for their religious rites, including one in Mariupol dedicated to Perun.^[108]

Related organizations

Azov Civil Corps

In spring of 2015, veterans of the Azov volunteer battalion created the core of a non-military non-governmental organization Azov Civil Corps (Tsyvilnyi Korpus "Azov"), for the purpose of "political and social struggle",^[109][26] associated with the National Corps political party.

National Militia

In 2017, a paramilitary group called the National Militia (Natsionalni Druzhyny), closely linked to the Azov movement, was formed. Its stated aim is to assist law enforcement agencies, which is allowed under Ukrainian law, and it has conducted street patrols.^[110][111] In March 2019, its membership was reportedly "in the low thousands".^[112]

See also

• Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

Notes

References

External links

• 2017 article by Margaret Klein for Swedish Defence Research Agency
• 2017 TV report by Deutsche Welle
• 2021 article by Kate Spencer at GeoHistory
• Official website