Azov Special Purpose Regiment
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
![]() | Parts of this article (those related to events of 2022 at least) need to be updated.(March 2022) |
Azov Special Purpose Detachment | |
---|---|
![]() ![]() | |
Country | Ukraine |
Type | National Guard
(November 2014 - present) Special Police (May - November 2014) |
Size | 800 fighters (October 2014) > 1000 fighters (after reformatting into a regiment) [2] |
Engagements | War in eastern Ukraine Battle of Mariupol (2014) |
Website | azov.org.ua |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Major Denis Prokopenko |
Notable commanders | Andriy Biletsky |
Azov Special Purpose Separate Detachment, also known as the Azov Regiment (OZSP "Azov", unit 3057), is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine and part of the Operational Command East.[1] The unit was established in 2014 as the Azov Volunteer Battalion and until November 11, 2014, was a unit of the special police patrol service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The detachment is based in Mariupol, Donetsk region, and temporarily based in Berdyansk, Zaporizhia region.
The unit takes part in the hostilities in eastern Ukraine, mainly within the Azov region, as part of the_Ukrainian special forces. Azov liberated Mariupol in June 2014,[2] took part in the battles near Ilovaisk,[3] defended Mariupol from end of August 2014,[4] and launched an offensive on Shirokino in February 2015.[5]
The emblem of the regiment is a modified version of Ukraine's national trident symbol.
History
Creation
The Azov Battalion was established on May 5, 2014[6] in Berdyansk, along with other battalions of the Special Police Patrol Service (BPSMOP) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, forming a special police corps of people with military experience or who had completed an accelerated, two-week training course at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
When it was first founded, Azov was drew its members from two public organizations: Automaidan and Patriot of Ukraine. On May 20, 2014, public recruitment of fighters to the battalion was announced.[7][who?]
According to former Deputy Battalion Commander Ihor Mosiychuk, in early June 2014 the special battalion had 20 foreigners: from Russia, several Scandinavian countries, and one Italian citizen.[8]

Solemn oaths
On June 23, 2014, the third company of the Azov Special Battalion swore allegiance to Ukraine on Sophia Square in Kyiv.[9]
On August 17, 2014, in the square near the National Museum of History of Ukraine in Kyiv, recruits of the Azov Battalion from Donetsk, Lviv, Kyiv and other regions took an oath of allegiance to the people of Ukraine and went to the ATO zone to support their compatriots.[10]
Hostilities begin
After its creation, the Azov Battalion trained in the Zaporizhia region near Berdyansk, and patrolled the area around Mariupol.[11][unreliable source?] According to former battalion deputy commander Yaroslav Honchar, the unit began operations in April, when it was involved in various types of reconnaissance operations. However, the battalion began direct participation in hostilities in early May 2014, when it waged several small battles with sabotage groups on the outskirts of Mariupol.[12]
On May 7, hostile fighters fired automatic weapons at a battalion bus near the village of Mangush. The driver was injured. One of the attackers was killed and two others were taken prisoner, including the "Minister of Defense" of "Donetsk People's Republic" Igor Khakimzyanov.[13][14]
Fighting in Mariupol
On May 9, Azov Battalion fighters arrived in Mariupol at the request of the Mariupol Police Chief to help liberate the seized police department building.[11][15][16][17]
The commander of the Donbas Battalion Semen Semenchenko on said on May 22, 2014 that the Azov Battalion was the most capable unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.[18]
On May 23, the Azov Battalion suggested that militants of the Donetsk People's Republic stationed near the Donetsk cities of Shakhtarsk, Torez, and Snizhne remove their illegal checkpoints, lay down their arms, and return to their families. Otherwise, they said, the battalion would be forced to clear all illegally installed checkpoints in the area of these cities.[19] On the same day, the Azov Battalion cleared the executive committee[clarification needed] of the Torez City Council of militants. As a result of the firefight, two representatives of the DNR were killed, and no one was killed or injured by the Azov Battalion.[20][clarification needed]
On May 26, 2014, the Azov Battalion, together with fighters from the Ukraine Battalion, stormed a transshipment base of Donetsk fighters and Russian militants at Oleksandr Yanukovych's dacha in the village of Urzuf . During the assault, some hostile fighters were killed, some were detained, and a large arsenal of small arms and cash was found during a search of the premises.[21]
On May 26, Azov Battalion fighters together with the Ukraine Battalion killed about five fighters, including a sniper, during a reconnaissance operation, and detained three combattants. Also as a result of the operation, part of the hostile fighters' ammunition was destroyed.[22]
On June 12, one of the leaders of the “Donetsk People's Republic”, Oleksandr Fomenko, was detained by battalion soldiers in Mariupol.[23]
plan-scheme of the operation to liberate Mariupol on June 13, 2014,
On June 13, soldiers of the Azov Battalion, with units of the National Guard, Dnipro-1 Battalion, Armed Forces of Ukraine, liberated Mariupol from militants of the “Donetsk People's Republic”. During the operation, four fighters were wounded on the Ukrainian side (one was seriously wounded), and Donetsk lost three killed, 17 wounded and 38 militants taken prisoner.[24]
On June 30, 2014, Azov Battalion fighters detained Igor Guskov, a pro-Russian Cossack centurion from Berdyansk and a close associate of a leaders of the Donbas movement, Igor Girkin.[25]
Starting in July, the unit's fighters conducted operations to block the supply of weapons to hostile fighters in the Donetsk region. Battalion commander Andriy Biletsky, as of July 6 the coast of the Sea of Azov in the Donetsk region was fully controlled by the battalion, checkpoints were set up and some hostile fighters had been detained.[26]
On July 12, 2014, battalion fighter detained one of the Donetsk leaders from Druzhkivka, Vasyl Chernenko, accusing him of organizing terrorist groups and attacking the Ukrainian military.[27]
On July 15, 2014, the battalion's fighters detained one of the leaders of the DNR, Oleksiy Pabushkov, a Greek ally of Andriy Borisov, the leader of the fighting wing of the DNR forces in Mariupol, nicknamed "Chechen."[28]
On July 25, 2014, the battalion's fighters detained a terrorist from the DNR nicknamed "Flag" who was a gunsmith in a local terrorist cell. The detainee was handed over to the SBU for investigation.[29]
Battles for Ilovaisk
On August 10, 2014, the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the participation of fighters of the "Donbass", "Azov", "Shakhtarsk" and "Right Sector" battalions launched an operation to liberate Ilovaisk and eliminate the Donetsk fighter fortification.[30]
On August 18, the 2nd Platoon of the Azov Battalion, together with units of the Donbass Battalion and a separate company of the Dnipro Battalion, fought hard on the outskirts of Ilovaisk. In the evening, units of the Azov and Dnipro battalions established themselves on the outskirts of the city.[31]
Defense of Mariupol
At the end of August 2014, a group of Azov spies, which included the core of the "Core", was ambushed by hostile fighters, Several soldiers were killed on the spot, others later ended up in Russian prisons. After some time, hostile fighters called Mykola's relatives and said that Mykola Samofalov - "Kernel" was no more. He is considered missing, the approximate date of death is August 31.[32]
On September 5, together with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they defended Mariupol in the vicinity of Novoazovsk.[33] On October 12, soldiers of the regiment with soldiers of the Armed Forces neutralized an enemy tank that was shelling Ukrainian military positions. The enemy command, which later arrived in a jeep at the scene, was also eliminated.[34]
In November 2014, the regiment's leadership, together with the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, detained a Russian citizen who had tried to join the unit on behalf of the Russian special services and provide information on Azov's activities. He also had instructions and parts to build remote-controlled explosive devices.[35]
National Guard unit
On September 17, 2014, by order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov, the Azov Battalion was reorganized and expanded into a regiment of the same name. Andriy Biletsky remained the commander of the newly formed regiment[36]
On October 4, Espreso TV reported that Azov soldiers, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine, had detained a deserter - an ensign of the National Guard, who for three months "leaked" data on the movement of Ukrainian troops to the "DPR".[37]
On October 9, the transfer was announced of the Azov Regiment to the National Guard of Ukraine, which was to provide the unit with special staffing and training, form its staff and reserve, and transfer it military equipment.[38] Regiment Commander Andriy Biletsky said that the unit was forming, and included an artillery division, which had already begun to train, and also a regiment and a tank unit.[39]
On November 11, Minister of Internal Affairs Arden Avakov signed an order to transfer the Azov Regiment to the National Guard of Ukraine with further training to the combat standard of the National Guard brigades.[40][41]
On November 28, a reconnaissance group of the Azov Regiment destroyed a terrorist reconnaissance group operating in the vicinity of Mariupol, killing two terrorists and wounding one, and Ukrainian forces retreated without loss due to artillery fire.[42]
Offensive on Shirokino

On February 10, 2015, the regiment liberated five settlements east of Mariupol:
On April 18, 2015, Georgy Dzhanelidze was killed in a battle with the occupiers near the village of Shirokine. He was mortally wounded, and his body remained in the area where the shooting took place, since the enemy did not allow it to be taken away, and later mined,[clarification needed] The body was removed after 10 hours of negotiation with the OSCE. Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili later said that the Georgian volunteer had killed a Russian instructor before he died.
On June 18, 2015, on the anniversary of the liberation of Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists, Regiment Commander Andriy Biletsky announced the reorganization of the Azov Regiment into a special brigade. The staff of the newly created brigade would be increased to 2,500 troops. The current staff of the regiment does not allow to satisfy the place of all volunteers.[44]
2016
In August 2016, according to some sources at the initiative of Allerov,[45] was part of the formation was assigned to protect checkpoints in Zaporozhye.
2019
The Azov unit won a contest for the best artillery calculation involved in the operation of the Joint Forces, which took place from 12 to 14 August.[46]
On the night of August 29, Azov fighters defeated the DRG in Svitlodarsk Duka.[47]
Azov Military Education Institutes
Yevhen Konovalets Military School
Yevhen Konovalets Military School is a specialized school for training sergeants. It opened on April 17, 2016, at the training and mobilization base of the Azov Regiment, located on the site of the former ATEK plant in Kyiv.[48] Part of the training was also held at the base of the Azov Regiment in eastern Ukraine.
The founder and head of the school is Giorgi Kuparashvili, a former Georgian special forces commander who has repeatedly participated in hostilities. The instructors of the school are officers of the Georgian army, most of whom received officer training in the United States under the green beret program. The training is conducted according to NATO standards with enhanced physical and psychological training. Georgian, American and Estonian experiences are also involved. Cadets receive training in tactics, topography, psychological training and work with the media [49]
The first cohort included 50 soldiers from the Azov Regiment. After four months of training, 25 graduates received certificates of sergeants, which were presented to them on September 29, 2016, on the site of the museum " Kyiv Fortress".[50]

Lieutenant Colonel Mykola Stsiborsky school
The school named after Lieutenant Colonel Mykola Stsiborsky is a specialized school for training non-commissioned officers. Opened on November 20, 2017, on the Azov regiment base in Mariupol, it was to start training personnel, and ideological training.
The cadets included deputy commanders of individual units at the company level. All teachers have a degree. Teachers from the Dnieper universities were preparing a reform program for personnel training in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine rejected the idea.
The training lasts 33 days. During the school day, students can listen to five lecture or seminars in addition, there are classes on hand-to-hand and knife fighting and fire training. Disciplines such as military psychology, military pedagogy, rhetoric, ideological and purely military subjects are also taught.
Upon completing the course, graduates received a diploma, and their departments received banners, awards and special badges. Each unit would have its own battle flag and a person responsible for it.[51]
The first graduation took place on December 22, 2017.[52]
Participation in civilian life
On September 29, 2014, an ambiguous statement was issued by the OSCE Mission to lead the Azov Regiment's riots during the demolition of a monument in Kharkiv.[53]
Participation in politics
In September 2016, Andriy Biletsky announced the creation of a new political party on the Day of the Intercession. On October 14, 2016, the National Corps political party was founded. The Azov Regiment, as a unit of the National Guard, does not participate in politics, but is closely associated with the Azov Civil Corps and the National Squads, which include former Azov fighters and volunteers. Due to the close ties with the activities of the political party and the international activities of some veterans and current members of Azov, the Bellingcat investigative team accused it of systematically recruiting American far-right extremists since 2015, promoting its own international agenda, and liaising with the US far-right Atomwaffen Division, Rise Above Movement.[54] National Corps Speaker Roman Chernyshov commented on the situation, saying that Bellingcat was a "set of horror stories, clichés and stereotypes." According to him, journalists are trying to "denigrate the Azov movement" by conflated the Azov Regiment and the National Corps.[55]
Accusations of neo-Nazism
From the first months of Azov's existence, some media and researchers, mostly Russian, have accused it of neo-Nazi ideology.[56][57][58][59][60] In particular, they have pointed to the use of the "Azov" neo-Nazi occult black sun symbol.[61]
Researchers of modern far-right movements in Ukraine such as Andreas Umland, Vyacheslav Likhachev , and Anton Shekhovtsov argued that the Social National Assembly and the Patriot of Ukraine group, which largely formed the basis of Azov in 2014, were neo-Nazi.[62][63][56] According to Likhachev and Shekhovtsov, the name "Black Corps" is a reference to the official SS newspaper, Das Schwarze Korps.[64][56] Shekhovtsov also pointed out that Azov included members of the international neo-Nazi movement Misanthropic Division who claimed that their "black squadrons were fighting in the ranks of the pagan battalion" Azov "against the remnants of modern society - Khachs, Communists, Liberals, Asians and other undermen."
Andreas Umland pointed out that neo-Nazis from Russia - Roman Zheleznov, Alexei Kozhemyakin and Alexander Parinov - fought in the Azov. The latter was previously linked to "one of Putin's most notorious neo-Nazi groups," the Fighting Organization of Russian Nationalists (BORN). According to Umland, "Azov" is "one of the most problematic and unusual of the new armed forces of Ukraine," "the leadership of the regiment before its creation most demonstratively and unequivocally declared its own biological racism." In particular, Andriy Biletsky stated that "the treatment of our National organism must begin with the Racial Purification of the Nation",[65] and Oleg Odnorozhenko said that "the intelligent man (Homo sapiens), in the biological sense, we consider only the White European Man." According to Umland, members of the SNA on Maidan repeatedly attacked people with "non-Slavic" appearances. At the same time, Andriy Biletsky stated in 2014 that “We did not back down. Everything that is in the soul of "Azov" - comes from its right ideology, the legacy of the "Patriot of Ukraine".[57]
In 2014, Vyacheslav Likhachev claimed that people with neo-Nazi views were a minority in the battalion, and he was even aware of cases where people with "leftist , anti-fascist views" went to fight in Azov. At the same time, in 2018, he stated that, according to his information, Azov was undergoing a systematic ideological indoctrination of fighters, and there were cases when eighteen -year-old apolitical boys became conscious neo-Nazis in six months.
The Azov Regiment itself usually denies ties to neo-Nazism. At the same time, in a 2015 interview with USA Today, the regiment's representative, Andriy Dyachenko stated that "only 10-20%" of the regiment's soldiers are neo- Nazis.
Ukrainian journalist, blogger and public figure Olena Bilozerska, visiting Azov, said:[66]
Patriot of Ukraine and the SNA form the backbone of Azov, but not all of the battalion's fighters are nationalists. People with more moderate views are not embarrassed by the neighborhood of guys with tattooed runes and inscriptions such as "100% racist"
Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov said of the issue of radical right-wing ideology professed by the majority of Azov fighters[67]:
Yes, most of the guys present in the Azov Battalion have their own perception of the world. But who told you that you can judge them? Don't forget what the Azov Battalion has done for the country. I spent many hours talking to Azov fighters. There is no Nazism or swastika there."
Insignia
In the spring of 2014, when the Azovs operated in the format of the Black Corps guerrilla unit (then known as the Black Men), a rectangular black-and-white chevron depicting a group of soldiers on a trident against the background of sunlight was used.
Since the beginning of summer 2014, Azov Battalion fighters have been using chevrons with a yellow background depicting the Idea of the Nation symbol against the backdrop of the Black Sun rising over the azure Sea of Azov. Such chevrons were used until the winter of 2014/2015.
After the battalion was transformed into a regiment and transferred to the National Guard of Ukraine, the emblem was reformatted. Since the spring of 2014, the regimental emblem is the blue "Idea of the Nation" tilted at an angle ("Attacking") on the yellow background of the shield. From the end of 2014 to the beginning of 2015, the regiment's units began to introduce their own chevrons.
-
Chevron of the "Black Corps". Used until the beginning of summer 2014
-
Chevron of the Azov Battalion. Used from the beginning of summer 2014 to the end of winter 2015
-
Chevron of the "Black Corps" partisan detachment. Used until the beginning of summer 2014.
-
шеврон ІІІ сотні (роти) 1 батальйону полку "Азов". Використовується з зими 2014/2015 р.
-
шеврон танкового батальйону полку "Азов" (підрозділ має власну назву - "Холодний Яр"). Використовується з весни 2015 р., розробник емблеми - Микола Андрейчук
Structure
- 1st Operational Battalion
- 2nd Operational Battalion
- tank company
- artillery division[when?]
Azov Commanders
- Andriy Biletsky (May-October 2014)
- Igor Mikhailenko (October 2014 - August 2016)
- Maxim Zhorin (August 2016 - September 2017)
- Denis Prokopenko [86] (since September 2017)
Azov Chiefs of Staff
- Vadim Troyan (June-October 2014)
- Andriy Klos (so-called October-November 2014)
- Vladislav Sobolevsky (November 2014 - September 2017)
- Igor Klimenko (since September 2017)
Awards and honors
On August 15, 2014, "for impeccable service and significant contribution to the successful conduct of the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine" fighters of the BPSMOP "Azov" received state awards and new ranks [81] [82]
On August 2, 2014, Major General Andriy Biletskyi, Commander of the Azov BPSMOP, was awarded the Order of Courage of the Third Degree for Personal Courage and Heroism in Defense of State Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine (Presidential Decree № 631/2014 of August 2, 2014). 2014 "On the awarding of state awards of Ukraine") [80]
Fighter Snitko Andriy Volodymyrovych was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Two fighters of BPSMOP "Azov" received the Order "For Courage". 7 fighters of the Azov BPSMOP received the medal "For Military Service of Ukraine" (awarded in wartime).
The commander of the Azov BPSMOP, Andriy Biletsky, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the police . [83] [4] 177 privates of the Azov BPSMOP received the rank of junior police sergeant.
On December 31, 2014, the 43rd session of the Mariupol City Council decided to award the title of honorary citizens of Mariupol to nine soldiers of the Azov Regiment:
- Andriy Biletsky,
- Rusan Gorlandin,
- Vadym Zinkovsky,
- Ihor Knyazhansky,
- Serhiy Korovin,
- Serhiy Korotkykh,
- Danylo Mykhaylenko,
- Vadym Troyan,
- Volodymyr Shpara.
On February 25, 2015, during the Shirokin operation, the Azov Regiment, with only one armored personnel carrier, successfully repulsed the occupiers' offensive and evacuated the wounded from the battlefield between Shirokin and Pavlopol, as a result of which the vehicle was lost. The commander of the armored personnel carrier, Petro Gorbatenko, received the "Independence of Ukraine" medal of the III degree
Interesting facts
- Commander of the Azov Regiment Andriy Biletskyi was elected People's Deputy of Ukraine in the early elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on October 26, 2014 (constituency № 217 in Kyiv).
- On October 31, 2014, Deputy Regiment Commander Vadym Troyan was appointed Chief of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Kyiv Oblast. Along with his appointment, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel of police.
- The publication of the Azov Regiment is the Black Sun magazine. Since December 2017, the military magazine National Defense has been published with the support of the Azov Regiment.
- On June 12, 2015, the US House of Representatives passed an amendment banning the training and transfer of weapons to Azov fighters under the US Armed Forces Support Program. Commenting on the amendment, MP Igor Mosiychuk said that "political technologist Paul Manafort, who is closely connected with Serhiy Lyovochkin, lobbied for a negative resolution of the Congress on Azov and MANPADS." Manafort also edited the anti-Ukrainian amendment together with Congressman John Conyers.
- The Azov Regiment is one of the few military formations in Ukraine that has received the latest models of military equipment, weapons and equipment. [90]
- The tragic events in Donbass through the eyes of the Azov Regiment soldiers are described in Vasyl Shklyar 's novel The Black Sun.
- On December 20, 2015, the Azov Regiment, with the participation of the Azov Civil Corps, unveiled a monument to Prince Sviatoslav in Mariupol. The opening was accompanied by a procession and a festive concert. This monument was erected on the site of a former monument to Lenin, which was demolished as part of a decommunization program. [91]
- On July 16, 2016 in the Zaporozhye region for attack on the collector car three people who introduced themselves as fighters of the Azov regiment were detained. The detention took place as a result of a special SBU operation [92] [93]
References
- ^ "Роз'яснення щодо статусу спецпідрозділу «Азов» (Clarification on the status of the Axov special unit) / NSU website, 23 April 2015". Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
{{cite web}}
: line feed character in|title=
at position 104 (help) - ^ Mariupol’s History Helps Explain Putin’s Ukraine Fiasco, Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg. Washington Post, March 24, 2022
- ^ Ukraine’s Battle at Ilovaisk, August 2014: The Tyranny of Means, Maj. Michael Cohen. Military Review, Army University Press, June 10, 2016
- ^ Ukraine forces brace for fighting with pro-Russian troops at ‘second front’: After crisis concentrated on Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, cities of Mariupol and Novoazovsk become latest battlegrounds, Oksana Grytsenko, Mariupol. The Guardian, 28 Aug 2014
- ^ Battered Ukrainian City of Mariupol Braces for Worst as Rebels Close In, Rick Lyman. New York Times, February 10, 2015.
- ^ Командир полку «Азов» Андрій Білецький: Ті, хто проливає кров за Україну, повинні мати свій голос у владі (Commander of the Azov Regiment Andriy Biletsky: Those who shed blood for Ukraine must have a voice in power) Archived 27 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Unian, 11 October 2014
- ^ "ТСН: Батальйон "Азов" оголосив набір нових вояк" [AZOV BATTALION ANNOUNCES RECRUITMENT OF NEW SOLDIERS] (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ ""Чорні чоловічки" поповнять лави спецбатальйону "Азов"" [Black Men "will replenish the ranks of the special battalion" Azov "]. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ "«Азов» поповнився бійцями// «Радіо24», 23 червня 2014". Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ "З Києва до зони АТО стартували новобранці «Азова»// «Українська правда», 17 серпня 2014". Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Факти ICTV: Зрада працівників МВС у Маріуполі: за планом бійці батальйону «Азов» повинні були загинути (відео)". Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ "Добровольцы. Надежда Украины и армии. Мысли про «Азов» // «Ukrinform», 21 травня 2014". Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ^ "Сепаратисти обстріляли автобус з бійцями батальйону міліції спецпризначення «Азов»". Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ^ Ukrainian Forces Enter Mariupol, Briefly Retake City Hall Building; Five Pro-Russian Activists Killed In Clash, International Business Times (7 May 2014)
- ^ Ukraine crisis: ‘three people killed’ in fighting at Mariupol police station: Interior minister says 20 'terrorists' were also killed, but medical authorities report three deaths and 25 injuries, Shaun Walker and Oksana Grytsenko. The Guardian, Mariupol and Kiev, 9 May 2014
- ^ https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2015/01/28/a-reconstruction-of-clashes-in-mariupol-ukraine-9-may-2014/ A Reconstruction of Clashes in Mariupol, Ukraine, 9 May 2014], Bellingcat, Mariupol, January 28, 2015
- ^ What Happened in Mariupol on May 9th, 2014, Dmytro Putiata, Andrii Karbivnychyi and Vasyl Rudyka. Ukrainian Military Portal, Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine, 9 May, 2020
- ^ "Новий погляд: Батальйон «Азов»: найбоєздатніший підрозділ МВС в Україні,: ватажок «чорних чоловічків» «Новий Погляд», 22 May 2014". Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ "Преса України: Батальйон «Азов» розпочинає тотальну зачистку Донбасу від терористів". Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ "Батальйон "Азов" очистив виконком у Торезі від бойовиків - ЗМІ". Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ "В Маріуполі силовики знищили п'ятьох терористів, троє затримані". Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ^ "В Маріуполі силовики знищили п'ятьох терористів, троє затримані". Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ^ "В Мариуполе задержали «народного мэра» (обновлено)". Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ "Сили АТО повністю звільнили Маріуполь, в який буде перенесена ОДА Донецької області". Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ "Батальйон «Азов» затримав близького соратника терориста Стрєлка". Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ^ "Азовське узбережжя повністю контролюється: батальйон «Азов»" [The Azov coast is completely under control: the Azov battalion]. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ "Бійці «Азова» затримали лідера терористів ДНР". Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ "Спецбатальйон «Азов» затримав спільника терориста «Чечена»". Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ "У Маріуполі затримали і віддали до СБУ «Прапора» з ДНР". Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "Дневники войны 13" [War Diaries 13]. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Сили АТО зачищають Ясиновату, контролюють уже більше половини Іловайська" [Anti-terrorist operation forces are clearing Yasynovata, controlling more than half of Ilovaisk]. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ «Стіна невідомості»: Як в Україні шукають зниклих бійців батальйону «Азов» ("Wall of Unknown": How Ukraine is looking for missing soldiers of the Azov Battalion) Hromadske, 26 April 2017
- ^ "Сили АТО почали наступ в напрямку Новоазовська" [Anti-terrorist operation forces launched an offensive in the direction of Novoazovsk]. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ "Бійці полку «Азов» разом з солдатами ЗСУ знешкодили ворожий танк «Українські Національні Новини»," [Soldiers of the Azov Regiment together with soldiers of the Armed Forces neutralized an enemy tank // (Ukrainian National News)]. 12 October 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
- ^ СБУ затримала росіянина-диверсанта. Готував замах на «Азов». (The SBU has detained a Russian saboteur. He was preparing an assassination on Azov) Archived 24 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Українська правда (Ukrainian Pravda). 16.11.2014.
- ^ "«Азов» розширився до полку і наголошує, що на вибори не йде" [Azov has expanded to a regiment and emphasizes that it is not going to the polls]. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ^ "Добровольці «Азова» спільно з СБУ затримали прапорщика Нацгвардії, який 3 місяці «зливав» інформацію про українські війська бойовикам «ДНР»" [Azov volunteers together with the Security Service of Ukraine detained an ensign of the National Guard, who for 3 months "leaked" information about Ukrainian troops to DNR militants]. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "Полк «Азов» перепідпорядкують Нацгвардії" [The Azov Regiment is being re-subordinated to the National Guard]. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ^ "До складу Національної гвардії України увійшов полк МВС «Азов»: Національна гвардія України, 9 October 2014". Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ "Полк "Азов" увійшов до складу Нацгвардії" [Azov Regiment became a member of the National Guard (Ukrainian Week)]. tyzhden.ua. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 2017-06-18.
- ^ "Аваков: Порошенко не розпускав батальйони" [Avakov: Poroshenko did not disband battalions]. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ^ "Сили АТО вчора знищили розвідувальну групу терористів: штаб" [Anti-terrorist operation forces yesterday destroyed intelligence group of terrorists - staff]. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ СНБО заявляет о зачистке от боевиков 5 населенных пунктов вблизи Мариуполя (дополнено) Archived 2015-02-10 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
- ^ Полк Азов буде реорганізовано в бригаду спецпризначення: Білецький (The Azov Regiment will be reorganized into a special brigade - Biletsky)Archived 23 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine Korrespondent.net, 18 June 2015
- ^ "Полк «Азов» вивели з Маріуполя" [The Azov Regiment was withdrawn from Mariupol]. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Артилеристи "Азову" - найкращі в ООС" [Azov's artillerymen are the best in environmental protection]. Український мілітарний портал (in Russian). Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-16.
- ^ "Четверо вбитих та один полонений: «Азов» на передовій завдав окупанту нищівного удару" [Four killed and one captured: "Azov" on the front line inflicted a devastating blow on the occupier]. Офіційний сайт полку "Азов" На захисті України з 2014 року (in Russian). 2019-08-29. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- ^ "Перші 24 сержанти-випускники військової школи ім. Євгена Коновальця склали присягу" [The first 24 graduate sergeants of the Viysk school named after Evgen Konovalts swore an oath]. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "На площі перед «Київською фортецею» відбувся перший випуск сержантів військової школи ім. полковника Є.Коновальця" [On the square in front of the "Kiev Fortress" was the first graduation of sergeants of the Colonel E. Konovalets military school.]. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "У Києві відбувся перший випуск сержантів Військової школи імені полковника Євгена Коновальця" [On the square in front of the Kiev Fortress the first graduating class of sergeants from the Colonel E. Konovalets military school]. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "У Маріуполі відбулось відкриття Хорунжої школи імені Миколи Сціборського" [Graduates of the Cornet School named after the regiment. Mykola Stsiborsky received diplomas and awards]. Azov.press. November 20, 2017. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ^ "Випускники Хорунжої школи імені п/полк. Миколи Сціборського отримали дипломи та відзнаки" [Graduates of the Cornet School named after the regiment. Mykola Stsiborsky received diplomas and awards]. http://azov.press/. Azov.press. 2017-12-23. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|website=
- ^ "Батальйон «Азов» керував заворушеннями у Харкові, які завершились знесенням Леніна: ОБСЄ" [The Azov Battalion led the riots in Kharkiv, which ended with the overthrow of Lenin - OSCE]. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
- ^ "«Азов» анонсував створення власної політичної партії" [Azov "announced the creation of its own political party"]. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ^ "В "Азове" прокомментировали расследование Bellingcat о связи их членов с праворадикалами США" [Azov comments on Bellingcat investigation into their members' ties to US right-wing radicals]. www.dsnews.ua (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- ^ a b c Anton Shekhovtsov. Look far right, and look right again Archived 13 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine openDemocracy. 11.07.2014.
- ^ Dina Newman. Ukraine conflict: 'White power' warrior from Sweden Archived 28 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine BBC News. 16.07.2014
- ^ Daniel McLaughlin. Foreigners join far-right militias in Ukraine's fight against rebels Archived 2019-06-23 at the Wayback Machine Irish Times. 17.07.2014.
- ^ Sabra Ayres. Driven by far-right ideology, Azov Battalion mans Ukraine's front line {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726025039/http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/7/24/ukraine-azov-battalion.html |date=26 July 2016 |publisher=Al Jazeera, 24.07.2014.
- ^ Tom Parfitt. Ukraine crisis: the neo-Nazi brigade fighting pro-Russian separatists Archived 2014-08-11 at the Wayback Machine The Telegraph. 11.08.2014
- ^ Alec Luhn, Preparing for War With Ukraine's Fascist Defenders of Freedom Archived 29 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine // Foreign policy. 30.08.2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
umland
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Донецький діалог на Громадському 19 серпня on YouTube
- ^ Вячеслав Лихачев. Батальон «Азов» и политические амбиции неонацистов Archived 2019-01-07 at the Wayback Machine // Хадашот. 2014, № 9 (208).
- ^ Andriy Biletsky, Український расовий соціал-націоналізм (Ukrainian racial social nationalism). Український соціальний націоналізм. — Харків: «Патріот України» (Kharkiv: “Patriot of Ukraine), 2007. — p. 3-5.
- ^ "Батальйон «Азов». Бій за Маріуполь (Azov Battalion. (Battle for Mariupol). LiveJournal. Olena Bilozerska, June 16 2014". Archived from the original on 19 June 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ "Арсен Аваков: Мир нужен, но не любой ценой (Arsen Avakov: Peace is needed, but not at any cost), «Фокус» (Focus). 1 September 2014". Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.