HERE IS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN MYTHS ABOUT AZOV AND A DETAILED RATIONALE THAT DEBUNKS THEM.
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Azov delegation with representatives of both parties of Congress. Washington, DC, Congressional building, September, 2022
Kateryna Prokopenko, President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders and wife of the Azov Brigade commander, Colonel Denys “Redis” Prokopenko, Yulia Fedosiuk, Deputy President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk, Azov Brigade fighter, and American journalist Jennifer Griffin. Fox News studio, June, 2023
Paul Massaro, Senior Political Advisor at the Helsinki Commission, with the Azov flag. 2023
Kateryna Prokopenko, President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders and wife of the Azov Brigade commander, Colonel Denys “Redis” Prokopenko, Yulia Fedosiuk, Deputy President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, and Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk, a fighter of the Azov Brigade, during their business trip to the US Congress. Washington, DC, June 2023
Political philosopher and professor Francis Fukuyama, President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders and wife of the Azov Brigade commander, Colonel Denys “Redis” Prokopenko, Kateryna Prokopenko, Deputy President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders Yulia Fedosiuk, and Azov Brigade fighter Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk during a joint speech at Stanford University. June, 2023
Azov delegation with Stanford University students during a speech on campus. June, 2023
Ilia "Gandalf" Samoilenko after his speech at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York, USA, February 2023
Commemoration, one year after the terrorist attack against Azov prisoners in Olenivka. Chicago, 2023
A rally in support of the Azov POWs. Kyiv, 2024
Arsenii Fedosiuk visiting a rally in support of the Azov Brigade, New York, 2023
Azov Brigade officers Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk and Ilya “Gandalf” Samoilenko. EstMil. tech conference, Tallinn, January 25, 2024
Ostap Shved at a special OSCE event dedicated to the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity. February, 2024
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Andrii "Spider" Ihnatiuk at a CIMIC (J9) training course on civil-military cooperation. 2023
MYTH 7: AZOV IS RECOGNIZED AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION IN THE WESTERN WORLD
Azov is not listed as a terrorist organization in the United States. Azov is a legitimate part of the Ukrainian army and is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Commentary of the commander of the Azov Brigade, Colonel Denys Prokopenko, for CNN on the situation in Mariupol. March 21, 2022
Delegations comprising Azov representatives have made two business visits to the US in 2022 and 2023. Azov members Georgiy Kuparashvili, Vladyslav Zhaivoronok and Arsenii Fedosiuk met with representatives of Congress and Senate of both parties, major international human rights organizations, think tanks, US military veterans and journalists.
Michael McFaul, a professor at Stanford University and former US Ambassador to Russia, participated in a meeting of Azov soldiers, defenders of Mariupol, with university students in October 2022.
In addition, the Azov representatives spoke at Stanford University with the renowned American philosopher Francis Fukuyama. Fukuyama subsequently has publicly supported Azov in his tweets.
Yuliia Fedosiuk, Giorgi Kuparashvili, Artur Lypka, Vladyslav Zhaivoronok spoke on Stanford campus September 30th, 2022
Arseniy and Yuliia Fedosiuk, Kateryna Prokopenko spoke on Stanford campus June 29th, 2023
John Spencer, a renowned American military expert and Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, actively supports the Azov Brigade on his social media platforms and has recorded a series of podcasts with the brigade's fighters.
In 2023, Azov officer Ilia Samoilenko spoke at a UN meeting in New York, as well as at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Officer Serhiy Tsisaruk spoke at a meeting of the Council of Europe.
In 2022, the American Meta Platforms removed Azov from the lists of blocked organizations. This was announced by the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov after a meeting with the company's President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg and Vice President for Content Policy Monica Bickert. Azov now has verified accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
Rallies in support of Azov's prisoners of war, as well as rallies dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attack in Olenivka, gather a large number of participants in many US cities, including not only representatives of the Ukrainian community, but also Americans with no connection to Ukraine, who often have different political views.
Moreover, there are American citizens serving in the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine. One of them — the U.S. Army Marine Corps veteran and current staff sergeant of one of the Azov companies, call sign "Frodo” fights side by side with Ukrainians against the Russian invaders and publicly speaks out about his motivation to join the unit and fight Russian aggression far from his home, as well as debunks common myths about Azov constructed by Kremlin propaganda.
In January 2024, Azov Brigade officers Arsenii "Process" Fedosiuk and Ilya "Gandalf" Samoilenko took part in the EstMil. tech 2024 military conference in Tallinn, Estonia. They made a presentation on "Network-centric warfare" at one of the conference panels moderated by Brigadier General Vahur Karus of the Estonian Army. Azov commander, Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, recorded a video address to the conference participants, in which he spoke about Azov's experience in fighting against the Russian army and the use of modern technologies on the battlefield.
Video message from Azov Commander, Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, to the participants of the EstMil. tech 2024 conference
Ostap Shved, an Azov combat medic who has been serving in the unit since 2014, defended Mariupol in 2022 and went through captivity, in February 2024 delivered a speech at a special OSCE event dedicated to the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity. Ostap was in the barracks at the Olenivka colony, where in July 2022 Russians committed a terrorist attack that killed more than 50 Azov soldiers and injured more than 130 others. In his speech, he shared how he received shrapnel wounds as a result of an explosion in the barracks, but kept providing medical care to his brothers in arms who were dying of blood loss. He testified that the colony's wardens did not provide assistance to the wounded for six hours. Instead of medical care, Ostap was transferred to Taganrog, Russia, where he was tortured for seven months and forced to confess to the murder of a civilian in Mariupol. He saw two other brothers in arms die as a result of torture. During his speech at the OSCE, the audience was in tears.
In the fall of 2023, Andrii "Spider" Ihnatiuk, Head of the Humanitarian Support of the Personnel Section of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine, took part in the CIMIC (J9) training course on civil-military cooperation conducted by Special Operations Command Europe (USA) with the support of instructors from European countries.
MYTH 7: AZOV IS RECOGNIZED AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION IN THE WESTERN WORLD
Azov is not listed as a terrorist organization in the United States. Azov is a legitimate part of the Ukrainian army and is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine.
In 2022, the American Meta Platforms removed Azov from the lists of blocked organizations. This was announced by the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov after a meeting with the company's President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg and Vice President for Content Policy Monica Bickert. Azov now has verified accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
In 2023, Azov officer Ilia Samoilenko spoke at a UN meeting in New York, as well as at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Officer Serhiy Tsisaruk spoke at a meeting of the Council of Europe.
John Spencer, a renowned American military expert and Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, actively supports the Azov Brigade on his social media platforms and has recorded a series of podcasts with the brigade's fighters.
Rallies in support of Azov's prisoners of war, as well as rallies dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attack in Olenivka, gather a large number of participants in many US cities, including not only representatives of the Ukrainian community, but also Americans with no connection to Ukraine, who often have different political views.
Ostap Shved, an Azov combat medic who has been serving in the unit since 2014, defended Mariupol in 2022 and went through captivity, in February 2024 delivered a speech at a special OSCE event dedicated to the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity. Ostap was in the barracks at the Olenivka colony, where in July 2022 Russians committed a terrorist attack that killed more than 50 Azov soldiers and injured more than 130 others. In his speech, he shared how he received shrapnel wounds as a result of an explosion in the barracks, but kept providing medical care to his brothers in arms who were dying of blood loss. He testified that the colony's wardens did not provide assistance to the wounded for six hours. Instead of medical care, Ostap was transferred to Taganrog, Russia, where he was tortured for seven months and forced to confess to the murder of a civilian in Mariupol. He saw two other brothers in arms die as a result of torture. During his speech at the OSCE, the audience was in tears.
In January 2024, Azov Brigade officers Arsenii "Process" Fedosiuk and Ilya "Gandalf" Samoilenko took part in the EstMil. tech 2024 military conference in Tallinn, Estonia. They made a presentation on "Network-centric warfare" at one of the conference panels moderated by Brigadier General Vahur Karus of the Estonian Army. Azov commander, Lieutenant Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, recorded a video address to the conference participants, in which he spoke about Azov's experience in fighting against the Russian army and the use of modern technologies on the battlefield.
In January 2024, Azov Brigade officers Arsenii "Process" Fedosiuk and Ilya "Gandalf" Samoilenko took part in the EstMil. tech 2024 military conference in Tallinn, Estonia. They made a presentation on "Network-centric warfare" at one of the conference panels moderated by Brigadier General Vahur Karus of the Estonian Army. Azov commander, Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, recorded a video address to the conference participants, in which he spoke about Azov's experience in fighting against the Russian army and the use of modern technologies on the battlefield.
Moreover, there are American citizens serving in the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine. One of them — the U.S. Army Marine Corps veteran and current staff sergeant of one of the Azov companies, call sign "Frodo” fights side by side with Ukrainians against the Russian invaders and publicly speaks out about his motivation to join the unit and fight Russian aggression far from his home, as well as debunks common myths about Azov constructed by Kremlin propaganda.
Michael McFaul, a professor at Stanford University and former US Ambassador to Russia, participated in a meeting of Azov soldiers, defenders of Mariupol, with university students in October 2022.
In addition, the Azov representatives spoke at Stanford University with the renowned American philosopher Francis Fukuyama. Fukuyama subsequently has publicly supported Azov in his tweets.
Delegations comprising Azov representatives have made two business visits to the US in 2022 and 2023. Azov members Georgiy Kuparashvili, Vladyslav Zhaivoronok and Arsenii Fedosiuk met with representatives of Congress and Senate of both parties, major international human rights organizations, think tanks, US military veterans and journalists.
Azov delegation with representatives of both parties of Congress. Washington, DC, Congressional building, September, 2022
Kateryna Prokopenko, President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders and wife of the Azov Brigade commander, Colonel Denys “Redis” Prokopenko, Yulia Fedosiuk, Deputy President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk, Azov Brigade fighter, and American journalist Jennifer Griffin. Fox News studio, June, 2023
Video message from Azov Commander, Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, to the participants of the EstMil. tech 2024 conference.
Commentary of the commander of the Azov Brigade, Colonel Denys Prokopenko, for CNN on the situation in Mariupol. March 21, 2022
Yuliia Fedosiuk, Giorgi Kuparashvili, Artur Lypka, Vladyslav Zhaivoronok spoke on Stanford campus September 30th, 2022
Arseniy and Yuliia Fedosiuk, Kateryna Prokopenko spoke on Stanford campus June 29th, 2023
Ilia "Gandalf" Samoilenko after his speech at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York, USA, February 2023
Rallies all over the world
Kateryna Prokopenko, President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders and wife of the Azov Brigade commander, Colonel Denys “Redis” Prokopenko, Yulia Fedosiuk, Deputy President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, and Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk, a fighter of the Azov Brigade, during their business trip to the US Congress. Washington, DC, June 2023
Paul Massaro, Senior Political Advisor at the Helsinki Commission, with the Azov flag. 2023
Azov delegation with Stanford University students during a speech on campus. June, 2023
Commemoration, one year after the terrorist attack against Azov prisoners in Olenivka. Chicago, 2023
Andrii "Spider" Ihnatiuk at a CIMIC (J9) training course on civil-military cooperation. 2023
Political philosopher and professor Francis Fukuyama, President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders and wife of the Azov Brigade commander, Colonel Denys “Redis” Prokopenko, Kateryna Prokopenko, Deputy President of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders Yulia Fedosiuk, and Azov Brigade fighter Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk during a joint speech at Stanford University. June, 2023
Arsenii Fedosiuk visiting a rally in support of the Azov Brigade, New York, 2023
A rally in support of the Azov POWs. Kyiv, 2024
Azov Brigade officers Arsenii “Process” Fedosiuk and Ilya “Gandalf” Samoilenko. EstMil. tech conference, Tallinn, January 25, 2024
Ostap Shved at a special OSCE event dedicated to the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity. February, 2024
In the fall of 2023, Andrii "Spider" Ihnatiuk, Head of the Humanitarian Support of the Personnel Section of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine, took part in the CIMIC (J9) training course on civil-military cooperation conducted by Special Operations Command Europe (USA) with the support of instructors from European countries.