Azov Battalion, the main neo-Nazi sub-branch of the Ukrainian military, formally recognized as an actual part of the military? That Azov Battalion?
Yep. Azov. The world’s biggest ever straw man, the lazy armchair general’s reason for thinking Putin Had A Point.
Facts:
1. Azov was a volunteer batallion formed from the Patriot of Ukraine gang in Mariupol, which AT ITS PEAK had of ~900–1500 members, the majority of its members were foreign sign-ups including Russians - and, specifically, Russian neo-nazi nationalists. It was allied to the neo-nazi Social-National Assembly. Its primary mission was to push Russian troops back into Russia. For two years it had a political wing.
Poroshenko was responsible for incorporating Azov into the National Guard in November 2014 (and he was glowing with praise for them). Ironically, Azov loathed him - in 2014 the Azov head mouthpiece said, “President Petro Poroshenko will be killed in a matter of months, and a dictator will come to power.” While they did benefit greatly from the profile between 2014 and 2018 (e.g. by being able to expand their influence into Kiev) their political support actually CRUMBLED in the 2019 election.
In 2019, Azov lost its major allies in government - including Biletsky. Zelenskyy was the polar opposite of what this TINY minority within a minority were hoping for in a new president. Neo-nazism got totally trounced at the ballot box.
So when Russia makes a huge song and dance about Axov, one should consider that Ukraine now has ten times as many Nazis fighting there today than there were in 2014. Why? Because this “special operation” to “de-nazify” Ukraine overlooks the fact that most of the Nazis in Ukraine today are in Russian uniforms, fighting on Putin’s side.
Azov only exists because Viktor Yanukovych gave the nod to Putin to annex Crimea and invade eastern Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine motivated the Azov leadership - whose home town is Mariupol - to fight back.
Russia’s nazis and Azov nazis fighting each other is the only reason Azov had eight years of training.
Russia’s invasion is the reason why Azov is full of veteran fighters.
If Russia really had wanted to de-nazify Ukraine in February, the simplest and easiest way to do it would’ve been to pull back its forces and chuck a big bag of cash at Kyiv. Zelenskyy is no nazi, but the idea he could ever close Azov down when Azov is literally the only force in Mariupol that scared the Russian invaders is totally for the birds.