In this article, you will learn whether it is true that Russia buys photos for attacks on Ukraine.
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2 years have passed since the release of the Defenders of Ukraine from Azovstal. Currently, about 1,900 defenders of Mariupol who left “Azovstal” are in captivity, among them more than 900 fighters of the “Azov” brigade. They defended Mariupol and acted on the order of the top military leadership of Ukraine, concluding an agreement. But now Russian propaganda continues to spread absurdity and lies about the heroes who defended Mariupol and got time for all of Ukraine. They voluntarily surrendered and were accused of treason against Ukraine, called “mercenaries” and “terrorists” and, of course, “wonderful people” from whom the enemy keeps Ukrainian prisoners of war.
“Azov” played a key role in the defense of Mariupol from the beginning of the war. Since 2014, when Russia attacked Ukraine, the soldiers of the regiment have been training personnel in combat operations and the use of military equipment according to NATO standards. As a result, they became highly motivated patriots and professional soldiers. So the Russian leadership is afraid of Azov precisely because of their effectiveness. This, it seems, is the main reason why Russian propaganda demonizes the Azov military, calling them “neo-Nazis” and terrorists.
“Why do they hate “Azov” in general? Because these are people who have always had an active civic position, who voluntarily stood up for the defense of Ukraine, who have their own convictions.”
– Maria Alekseevich, wife of the “Azov” fighter.
On May 16, 2022, by order of the Supreme Military Commander, the defenders of Mariupol, including the fighters of the “Azov” regiment, began to retreat from the “Azovstal” metallurgical plant. There were several statements that this was an “evacuation” and that there would be an exchange soon after. Meanwhile, Russians rejoiced in social networks:
In addition to the disgusting all-Russian joy, the enemy published a lot of fakes about “Azov”. Here are some of the most absurd statements of Russian propaganda:
In fact, “Azov” is a formation of the National Guard of Ukraine founded in 2014. Since the beginning of 2023, the unit is officially known as the 12th special purpose brigade “Azov” as part of the NSU. This means that “Azov” ceased to be a battalion and was reorganized into a special purpose brigade, which allows them to have more significant combat power.
“Azov” did not have bombs or planes for massive airstrikes. The destruction of the city is the work of the Russian military and mercenaries who carried out airstrikes.
Another baseless thesis of Russian propaganda. Official statements of the Ukrainian authorities and international organizations have repeatedly denied these claims. In addition, independent investigations, media, and independent analysts confirm that it was Russian forces who committed war crimes, including shelling of civilian infrastructure (1, 2) and residential neighborhoods.
The truth is that the defenders of Azovstal left on the order of the top military leadership to save their lives, and not because of a lack of desire to fight.
These absurd tracts of Russian propaganda have led to the fact that Mariupol and all of Ukraine have discredited the heroes who defended themselves against the Russian invaders, and the goal, in particular, is to prevent their exchange and even the spread of fakes.
Russia violates all points of international law, keeping prisoners in inhumane conditions and resorting to torture.
In fact, at the international level, no one considers Azov to be terrorists. Exchanges have already taken place. But at the same time, Russia is desperately trying to promote its narrative in the West. This kind of propaganda was periodically circulated even before the full-scale invasion, and every time it was refuted. However, some English-language publications repeat Russian narratives. In addition, there are many small propagandists who promote Russian propaganda.
In August 2022, the Supreme Court of Russia declared Azov a terrorist organization. This allows members of the battalion to be sentenced to long prison terms. The decision was made against the backdrop of long-standing efforts by Russia to portray Azov as a group with a neo-Nazi ideology.
“I have two opinions about this. On the one hand, if they did not want to exchange Azov, this would not have happened at all, but still there were representatives of the Azov regiment in the exchanges. Many officers and command staff were exchanged. Last year, On May 6, there was an exchange of 45 “Azovs”. And of course they are doing it… It is still aimed at propaganda in Russia, because they want to make the “Azovs” unclear who they are. Therefore, if we talk about tattoos (so that many of the tattoos they showed that the representatives of the “Azov” regiment [ed. – we are talking about nationalistic, occult or runic tattoos], they also have in the Russians, in the Russian military all “Azovians” have tattoos. My husband, for example, does not have one, but he is a fighter in the “Azov” regiment.
– Maria Alekseevich, wife of the “Azov” fighter.
This statement was shared by several Russian propagandists and mass media. They also stated that it was “Azov” that destroyed Mariupol. In fact, “Azov” did not even have such powers and funds.
The “Azov” army was blocked in the territory of “Azovstal” and had no opportunity to carry out large-scale attacks. All the destruction of Mariupol is the result of Russian shelling, bombing from airplanes and helicopters.
“Of course they didn’t kill civilians. They didn’t have enough weapons in Mariupol to destroy all those houses. But still there are people who believe that.”
– Maria Alekseevich, wife of the fighter “Azov”.
Although the Russians themselves claim that they provide all conditions for prisoners of war, the reality is very different from the picture they broadcast. Several international publications published information about how the Russians actually treat Ukrainian prisoners (1, 2, 3). Since many defenders are still in Russian captivity, the military does not tell the whole truth about the conditions of their stay. This could have a direct impact on those currently in captivity.
“If we talk specifically about the observance of the Geneva Conventions in relation to Azov, then they are the worst enemies of the Russians. In fact, they built propaganda for many years against the background of “Azov”. Therefore, there was no need to hope that the Geneva Conventions would be observed. I cannot speak about absolutely all prisoners of war from other military units, because the attitude is different in different colonies. A huge number of Ukrainian prisoners are held in the Russian Federation, in order to provide everyone with proper conditions of detention, you must also have the resources for this. That’s why I don’t think they care about it.”
— Anna Lobova, co-founder of the public organization “Olenivka Community”
“They have quite powerful propaganda, which has been conducted for years in the media space and in education. Everything is done at the official level.”
— Anastasia Gondyul, wife of the Azov fighter.
Some Russian propagandists spread fakes in which Azov fighters allegedly stored gold on the territory of the Azovstal plant. These statements are part of a propaganda campaign aimed at undermining confidence in the Ukrainian military. There are no reliable sources confirming the presence of gold or a large amount of money in the possession of “Azov” fighters. Ukrainian officials and mass media have repeatedly denied such statements.
Foreign volunteers have been joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2014, when Russia invaded the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Among them were Georgians who formed, for example, the Georgian National Legion, Belarusians (Kastus Kalinovsky Regiment) and others.
From February 10, 2023, foreigners have the right to serve under contract in all military formations of Ukraine.
The narrative that allegedly “Azov” – foreign mercenaries is actively spread, in particular, by the Russian Ministry of Defense. However, all foreign fighters on the territory of Ukraine are volunteers. They often perceive Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression as part of their own struggle against authoritarian regimes.
Relatives of prisoners of war and concerned citizens gather every week for rallies to remind the whole world that there are still many Ukrainian soldiers in captivity. Captivity kills. Therefore, with these actions, relatives try to draw attention to the fate of their relatives.
In fact, it is difficult to say in what conditions prisoners of war are kept in Russia. Unfortunately, this information remains inaccessible even to close relatives. Such issues should be dealt with by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Public association “Olenivska hromada” turned to them with an official appeal.
The International Committee of the Red Cross received many questions regarding the conditions of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia. In particular, they asked about the number of prisoners, their location, attempts to gain access to them and the success of such attempts. They also asked about ICRC measures to improve the conditions of detention of Ukrainian prisoners.
As reported by the representatives of the public association “Spilnota Olenivka”, they received the following answer:
In accordance with its mandate, the ICRC can only share information with families who contact the ICRC about their missing or captured loved ones. We are pleased to send an official invitation to the Public Association “Spilnota Olenivka” for a question and answer session at the delegation in Kyiv or online at a time convenient for you. The session will be devoted to answers to the most difficult and exciting questions.
— from the response of the ICRC to the NGO “Community of Olenivka”.
The defense of Mariupol and the Azovstal plant became one of the most heroic pages of modern Ukrainian history. After the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mariupol was almost destroyed. The number of dead is estimated at 8 — 20 or even 100 thousand. It is impossible to establish the real number of dead because of the Russian occupation.
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