Back كتيبة آزوف Arabic Azov (alay) Azerbaijani Брыгада «Азоў» Byelorussian Азов (батальон) Bulgarian Batalló Azov Catalan Brigáda Azov Czech Азов (батальон) CV Azov-bataljonen Danish Brigade Asow German Τάγμα Αζόφ Greek

Azov Brigade

12th Special Operations Brigade "Azov"
12-та бригада спеціального призначення «Азов»
12-ta bryhada spetsialnoho pryznachennya "Azov"
Azov's patch
Founded5 May 2014
Country Ukraine
BranchSpecial Tasks Patrol Police (2014)
TypeMechanized infantry
Size900–2,500 members[1][2][3][needs update]
Part of National Guard of Ukraine (2014–present)
1st Azov Corps
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] As of April 2025, the brigade is part of the 1st Azov Corps, a newly created formation led by former Azov Brigade commander Denys Prokopenko.[15]

The unit has drawn controversy over its early and allegedly-continuing association with far-right groups and neo-Nazi ideology,[16] its use of controversial symbols linked to Nazism, and early allegations that members of the unit participated in human rights violations.[17][18][19] At its origin, the unit was linked to the far-right Azov Movement. After its integration into the National Guard, the unit was brought under Ukrainian government control,[20] and observers noted a government strategy of integrating far-right militias into the regular military while attempting to limit ideological influence.[21] Some experts argue that the unit has depoliticised, deradicalised and distanced itself from the Azov Movement since its integration into the regular Ukrainian military;[22][23][11] others remain critical and argue that the unit remains linked to the movement and to far-right ideology.[24][10] The Azov Brigade has been a recurring theme of Russian propaganda.[25]

The regiment's size was estimated to be around 2,500 combatants in 2017,[3] and around 900 in 2022.[26] 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.[27][28] 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,[29] after which Russia began sentencing Azov prisoners of war in sham trials.

  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. ^ "Azov, Khartiia commanders to lead 2 new National Guard corps". The Kyiv Independent. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference sources neo-Nazi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference telegraph-20220318 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jones-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sheerin-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Mironova, Vera; Sergatskova, Ekaterina (1 August 2017). "How Ukraine Reined In Its Militias | Foreign Affairs". www.foreignaffairs.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  21. ^ Karatnycky, Adrian (6 October 2015). "Kiev Gets a Grip on Ukraine's Internal Divisions". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fires was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan; Morris, Loveday; Parker, Claire; Stern, David L. (5 April 2022). "Right-wing Azov Battalion emerges as a controversial defender of Ukraine". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. The Azov forces today, said Biletskiy, now include writers and other liberals, even members of the extreme left and antifascists. 'We are at war for the very existence of Ukraine at the moment,' he said. 'In the past month, I have never asked a person that came to join us about his political views. Today, Ukrainians have only one option of political orientation: for or against Ukraine.'
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference AlJazeera-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference vhnyt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ "'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.
  29. ^ Cite error: The named reference AP NEWS-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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