DISINFO: The neo-Nazi Azov Battalion rules Ukraine, not Zelenskyy
SUMMARY
The Nazis rule Ukraine. The neo-Nazis of the Azov Battalion intimidated Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the point of firing one of his generals at the first request. This is proof that the Azov battalion is actually leading the war and that a coup has already taken place in Ukraine. Now they are basically publicly threatening Zelenskyy not to end the war.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about alleged Nazism in Ukraine and about the Azov battalion, aiming to defame President Zelenskyy and to deflect attention from Russia's responsibility for the full-scale invasion.
The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy.
A law passed in Ukraine in 2015 banned Nazi and Communist ideologies. The law prohibits the public use and propaganda of Nazi and Communist symbols. Far-right groups do exist in Ukraine, like in any other country, but they have a minor influence on politics and social life.
Read a more detailed debunk of the claim that Ukraine is a Nazi state here, as well as our analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".
The Azov unit was formed in May 2014 in Mariupol from volunteers, initially as a battalion of the Special Purpose Police Patrol Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In September 2014, it was transformed into a battalion in a regiment structure, later to the National Guard of Ukraine. The battalion sized unit strength is estimated at around 900 - 1100 persons.
The Azov unit garnered controversy over the far-right politics of its initial founders, the use of neo-Nazi symbolism in some of its insignia, and the anti-Semitic views of some members. The unit was integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine in 2015. Since its integration, Azov regiment members have repeatedly denied being a far-right political unit, although they acknowledge that it includes individuals with such views.
The general fired, whom the disinformation refers to, is Yuri Sodol. On June 24, President Zelenskyy removed General Yuri Sodol from the post of commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which he held for just over 4 months.
Read similar cases such as claims that The West turns Ukraine into an anti-Russia neo-Nazi project, that Denazification will be a massive problem in Ukraine after the war, that Zelenskyy uses the same Nazi symbols as Hitler and that The United States has begun to openly support the Nazis from Azov