The Azov Battalion started as a far-right militia, and its members were linked to hate crimes. Now it’s a combat force fighting on the front lines against the Russian invasion, mainly near Mariupol.
Years ago, Azov Battalion began as a volunteer force, and was populated with right-wing and racist elements. It was not trusted by many Ukrainians or the West — but it defended Mariupol in 2014 during Putin’s first expansion into Crimea, and as part of Ukraine’s official armed forces helped prepare the country for Russia’s broader invasion in 2022.
Azov was formed in May 2014 as a “volunteer police battalion” according to Anton Shekhovstov, the director of Austria’s Centre for Democratic Integrity and a researcher on far-right groups in Europe. Their formation was directly influenced by Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
Eric Sorensen looks at the group’s history and evolution over the past several years – from its controversial origins to its current status as one of Ukraine’s front-line military forces.
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