Ukraine’s Azov Brigade Has ‘Changed’

Back in June, the US State Department announced that it had lifted its longtime ban on giving weapons and training to Ukraine’s notorious Azov Brigade (often referenced by its earlier name Azov Battalion).

Since then, efforts to normalize Azov—which mainstream media had long ago grudgingly admitted was full of “neo-Nazi ideology”—have only grown.

Azov neo-Nazis at a torchlit ceremony in Ukraine in 2020.

The group’s members have never been shy about sporting Nazi-inspired patches either. Ultimately, they haven’t changed, only their Western supporters’ perceptions of them have. 

Ukrainian scholar and historian, Dr. Marta Havryshko, has underscored this trend surrounding Azov, explaining that yes the group has “changed” – but not in the ways Ukraine’s supporters think, or what’s popularly portrayed in Western media attempts to whitewash the militia group.

Below is her scathing critique in full…

“Azov changed” – the mantra of many liberal and progressive public in the West, who, after 24 Feb. 2022, demonstrate sympathy toward the Azov movement, whitewashing its past, justifying its present, and showing no concerns about its future. My answer: Yes. It changed. Here are some indicators…

Enlargement & penetration of the entire security sector in Ukraine

Instead of one Azov regiment, there are now two brigades: the 12th in the National Guard and the 3rd in AFU. Another Azov unit, Kraken, acts under the direct supervision of Ukrainian Military Intelligence run by Budanov.

Weaponry

Thanks to lobbying and political expediency, the US lifted the ban on weapons to Azov. Now, it has all kinds of heavy weapons from the West and trains its members to use them whenever they’re needed against “external and internal enemies”.

Excusing past criminal activity

Some members of Azov were engaged in criminal activities and imprisoned before 2022 for gangsterism but released after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, they are celebrated and decorated as “freedom fighters.”

Media support 

Azov enjoys an enormous media presence. Many Ukrainian and foreign media fall into the trap of “elite brigades,” “true patriots,” and “just nationalists.” They don’t question Azov’s ideology and are unwilling to confront Azov members directly with tough questions about its ideology and political plans.

Experts’ backing 

Some scholars and analysts consciously downplay the role of radicalism and extremism in Azov, arguing that it is “depoliticized” and that claims about its threats to democracy are exaggerated and the product of Kremlin propaganda.

Indoctrination & military training of youth 

Centuria, a paramilitary Azov youth movement, widened its activities across Ukraine. It penetrates schools. It prepares youth for the street violence. It is already used for political violence against LGBTQI+, feminist, and leftist activists.

Mobilization of fear

Azov weaponizes the fear of Russia in Ukraine and beyond. Common slogans: “They will kill all men and rape all women,” “They will organize another Holodomor,” “They will mobilize all men to the war against NATO,” etc.

In sum, yes, Azov changed drastically after February 2022, but most importantly, the attitude of many liberals changed toward Azov, not its very nature.