Following the start of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, Hrishenkov defended Mariupol, where he was injured. After 86 days of defending the encircled city under heavy Russian bombardment, he and about 2,500 other fighters left the Azovstal steel plant after Ukrainian commanders ordered the defending garrison to lay down their arms.
Vladislav Ruchka, Andriy Yaroshinsky, and Dmytro Ihnatenko have been sentenced to up to 24 years in prison by Russian proxies in Donetsk.
One of the new formations, the 1st Azov Corps, will be led by Colonel Denys Prokopenko, the commander of the 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade.
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell sits down with the former commander of Ukraine's Azov Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych, to discuss the situation on the front line after three years of Russia's full-scale war, why he thinks Ukraine should change its culture of military leadership, why the U.S. army doctrine wouldn't work for Russia's war against Ukraine, and shares his takes on Russia's next steps after a potential ceasefire.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include the official response to the Kyiv Independent from Ukraine's General Staff, which came a few days after initial publication. Last February, a Ukrainian company commander going by his callsign Veter was ordered to send his people to reinforce another unit’s
Eleven were sentenced in absentia as they had been released in prisoner exchanges, while 12 prisoners of war (POW) still held in Russia have been jailed to between 13 and 23 years in prison.
"The vast majority of those released are people who had been held (in captivity) since the first days of the war,” said Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets in a statement.
Key developments on Sept. 6: * 'Situation was catastrophic' - Ukraine's Azov says it relieved surrounded troops in Niu-York, regained ground * Zelensky's visit to Ramstein secures air defense, weapons for Ukraine * Ombudsman appeals to UN, Red Cross over alleged execution of Ukrainian POW seen on video * Zelensky claims 6,000 Russian
"At the time the brigade was deployed to the area, the situation on the front line was catastrophic," the Azov Brigade said on X.
Azov Regiment commander Denys Prokopenko criticized the recent prisoner exchange, expressing disappointment that none of the Azov fighters, who have been in Russian captivity for over two years, were included.
The Russian Prosecutor's Office claimed that all the prisoners expressed "negative attitudes toward the Russian-speaking population" and supported "pro-Ukrainian radical views."
Azov Brigade soldier Oleksandr Ishchenko died in Russian captivity due to a blunt force trauma to his chest, according to a forensic expert report, published by Azov deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar on Aug. 7.
Key developments on July 31: * First F-16 fighter jets arrive in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports * Ukraine downs all 89 Russian drones launched in mass attack * Russia used new 'distracting' drone type during recent attack on Ukraine, Kyiv says * Ukrainian Navy claims attack on Russian weapons depot near Kursk * Azov soldier Oleksandr
Ishchenko was 55-years-old and a native of Mariupol, Ukrainska Pravda reported. He joined the Azov Brigade as a driver shortly after the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion and was captured in Mariupol in 2022.
Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych, one of the Azov Brigade's commanders, accused the general of abuse of power and incompetent command of the troops, which led to the loss of Ukraine's territory, as well as personnel.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 24 that he had replaced the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol, with Brigadier General Andrii Hnatov.
Key developments on June 17: * Ukrainian drones attack metallurgical plant, other facilities in 3 Russian regions, source says * Ukraine hits 15 Russian air defense systems in occupied Crimea over past 2 months, military says * Time will play in Ukraine's favor once F-16s and more Western aid arrive, Syrskyi says * Azov
In a comment to the Kyiv Independent on June 17, the brigade said further results of the operation, which began on April 21, could not be reported at this time to protect the "safety and success of operations."
The United States will allow Ukraine's Azov Brigade to use weapons provided by the U.S. to fight Russia's full-scale invasion, the U.S. State Department announced on June 10, reversing a long-standing policy.
The defense of the Azovstal steel plant, Ukraine's last stronghold during the Russian siege of Mariupol in the spring of 2022, remains one of the most heroic operations carried out by the Ukrainian soldiers to date. The plant was under constant Russian bombardment for nearly two months, and those stuck
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. While hiding from almost non-stop Russian bombardment in the dark and cold bunkers of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Dmytro Kozatskyi took his most famous and arguably most valuable photographs. He showed the world what it was
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on May 12, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here. Prisoner negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are one of the many things obscured
Twenty-one-year-old Ukrainian soldier Nazarii Hryntsevych, also known under the call sign "Hrinka," was killed on the front lines, the Contact 12 special forces group of the Azov Brigade said on May 7.
Vladyslav Plahotnyk was accused of "participation in a terrorist organization" and "training for terrorism," by being a member of the Azov battalion which Russia has declared a terrorist organization.
U.S. tech giant Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, no longer designates Ukraine’s Azov Regiment as a “dangerous organization.” This means that Azov Regiment members will be allowed to have accounts on Meta platforms, while content posted by other users about Azov Regiment will no longer
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