Changes

In 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a provision blocking any training of Azov members by American forces, citing its neo-Nazi connections.  The House had previously passed amendments banning support of Azov between 2014 and 2017, but due to pressure from the [[Pentagon]], the amendments were quietly lifted.  This was protested by the [[Simon Wiesenthal]] Center which stated that lifting the ban highlighted the danger of [[Holocaust]] distortion in Ukraine.<ref>https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/03/01/greek-in-mariupol-fascist-ukrainian/</ref>  NATO by-passed the congressional action by training Azov fighters in Canada. Congress later rescinded the prohibition.

In 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a provision blocking any training of Azov members by American forces, citing its neo-Nazi connections.  The House had previously passed amendments banning support of Azov between 2014 and 2017, but due to pressure from the [[Pentagon]], the amendments were quietly lifted.  This was protested by the [[Simon Wiesenthal]] Center which stated that lifting the ban highlighted the danger of [[Holocaust]] distortion in Ukraine.<ref>https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/03/01/greek-in-mariupol-fascist-ukrainian/</ref>  NATO by-passed the congressional action by training Azov fighters in Canada. Congress later rescinded the prohibition.

==NATO training==

===NATO training===

To by-pass American law, NATO trained the Azov Nazis in [[Canada]].

To by-pass American law, NATO trained the Azov Nazis in [[Canada]].

To a large extent governments of Canada and the [[United States]] view Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia. As part of this geopolitical competition, they’ve backed neo-Nazi militia members fighting the independent [[Donbas]] republics.<ref>https://mronline.org/2021/11/13/military-knows-it-looks-bad-but-works-with-neo-nazis-anyway/</ref>

To a large extent governments of Canada and the [[United States]] view Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia. As part of this geopolitical competition, they’ve backed neo-Nazi militia members fighting the independent [[Donbas]] republics.<ref>https://mronline.org/2021/11/13/military-knows-it-looks-bad-but-works-with-neo-nazis-anyway/</ref>

==Bucha massacre==

===Bucha massacre===

Joe Lauria of Consortium News reported that ''The New York Times'' was in Bucha, Ukraine on April 2, 2022 and did not report a massacre.<ref>https://consortiumnews.com/2022/04/04/questions-abound-about-bucha-massacre/</ref> Instead, the ''Times'' confirmed the Russian withdrawal was completed two days after the mayor of Bucha said it was, and that the Russians left “behind them dead soldiers and burned vehicles, according to witnesses, Ukrainian officials, satellite images and military analysts.”  The ''Times'' said reporters found the bodies of six civilians. “It was unclear under what circumstances they had died, but the discarded packaging of a Russian military ration was lying beside one man who had been shot in the head,” the paper said.  In Bucha, the ''Times'' was close to the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, whose soldiers appear in the newspaper’s photographs. 'The ''Times'' suggests that Azov may responsible for the killings:

Joe Lauria of Consortium News reported that ''The New York Times'' was in Bucha, Ukraine on April 2, 2022 and did not report a massacre.<ref>https://consortiumnews.com/2022/04/04/questions-abound-about-bucha-massacre/</ref> Instead, the ''Times'' confirmed the Russian withdrawal was completed two days after the mayor of Bucha said it was, and that the Russians left “behind them dead soldiers and burned vehicles, according to witnesses, Ukrainian officials, satellite images and military analysts.”  The ''Times'' said reporters found the bodies of six civilians. “It was unclear under what circumstances they had died, but the discarded packaging of a Russian military ration was lying beside one man who had been shot in the head,” the paper said.  In Bucha, the ''Times'' was close to the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, whose soldiers appear in the newspaper’s photographs. 'The ''Times'' suggests that Azov may responsible for the killings:

{{quotebox-float|“Something very interesting then happens on [Saturday] 2 April, hours before a massacre is brought to the attention of the national and international media. The US and EU-funded Gorshenin Institute online [Ukrainian language] site Left Bank announced that:

{{quotebox-float|“Something very interesting then happens on [Saturday] 2 April, hours before a massacre is brought to the attention of the national and international media. The US and EU-funded Gorshenin Institute online [Ukrainian language] site Left Bank announced that:

The Russian military has by now completely left the city, so this sounds for all the world like reprisals. The state authorities would be going through the city searching for ‘saboteurs’ and ‘accomplices of Russian forces.’ Only the day before [Friday], Ekaterina Ukraintsiva, representing the town council authority, appeared on an information video on the Bucha Live Telegram page wearing military fatigues and seated in front of a Ukrainian flag to announce ‘the cleansing of the city.’ She informed residents that the arrival of the Azov battalion did not mean that liberation was complete (but it was, the Russians had fully withdrawn), and that a ‘complete sweep’ had to be performed.”}}

The Russian military has by now completely left the city, so this sounds for all the world like reprisals. The state authorities would be going through the city searching for ‘saboteurs’ and ‘accomplices of Russian forces.’ Only the day before [Friday], Ekaterina Ukraintsiva, representing the town council authority, appeared on an information video on the Bucha Live Telegram page wearing military fatigues and seated in front of a Ukrainian flag to announce ‘the cleansing of the city.’ She informed residents that the arrival of the Azov battalion did not mean that liberation was complete (but it was, the Russians had fully withdrawn), and that a ‘complete sweep’ had to be performed.”}}

==Battle of Mariupol==

===Battle of Mariupol===

{{See also|Battle of Mariupol}}

{{See also|Battle of Mariupol}}

[[File:Azov in Mariupol.PNG|right|350px|thumb|Nazi checkpoint in Mariupol.]]

[[File:Azov in Mariupol.PNG|right|350px|thumb|Nazi checkpoint in Mariupol.]]

The French channel referred to an old United Nations report documenting systematic torture in [[Donbas]], but it neglected to mention either the Azov Battalion's special prisons uncovered by the Russian army,<ref>https://thesaker.is/former-sbu-employee-revealed-information-about-secret-prisons-in-donbass-and-kievs-involvement-in-downing-mh17/</ref> or statements issued by the UN in this regard. France-2 also failed to explain the weight of the [[Banderite]]s in [[Ukrainian nationalist]] history, reducing the prominence of the neo-Nazis to brandishing the [[swastika]]. France-2 reported the threat to be between 3,000 and 5,000 men, while ''[[Reuters]]'' reported the paramilitary [[Banderite]]s number to be 102,000 men, split into several militias incorporated within the Territorial Defense.

The French channel referred to an old United Nations report documenting systematic torture in [[Donbas]], but it neglected to mention either the Azov Battalion's special prisons uncovered by the Russian army,<ref>https://thesaker.is/former-sbu-employee-revealed-information-about-secret-prisons-in-donbass-and-kievs-involvement-in-downing-mh17/</ref> or statements issued by the UN in this regard. France-2 also failed to explain the weight of the [[Banderite]]s in [[Ukrainian nationalist]] history, reducing the prominence of the neo-Nazis to brandishing the [[swastika]]. France-2 reported the threat to be between 3,000 and 5,000 men, while ''[[Reuters]]'' reported the paramilitary [[Banderite]]s number to be 102,000 men, split into several militias incorporated within the Territorial Defense.

===Mariupol surrender===

===Azovstal surrender===

On April 21, 2022, Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] instructed Gen. Sergey Shoigu to halt the storming of Azovstal, apparently shifting to a strategy of starving out the encircled remaining holdouts.  It was thought that about 1,400 Ukrainian fighters and foreign mercenaries, along with dozens of NATO officers, civilian families of the fighters and possibly some civilian hostages were still holed up in the bunkers.  The Azov regiment apparently had stockpiled enough food and drinking for a lengthy holdout.  The Russians did not cut internet access.<ref>https://southfront.org/liberation-of-mariupol/</ref>  More than 142,000 civilians had been evacuated from the city.  Gen Shoigu declared victory in the battle.  An estimated 9,000-10,000 Ukrainian forces and mercenaries had been killed in  the battle.

On April 21, 2022, Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] instructed Gen. Sergey Shoigu to halt the storming of Azovstal, apparently shifting to a strategy of starving out the encircled remaining holdouts.  It was thought that about 1,400 Ukrainian fighters and foreign mercenaries, along with dozens of NATO officers, civilian families of the fighters and possibly some civilian hostages were still holed up in the bunkers.  The Azov regiment apparently had stockpiled enough food and drinking for a lengthy holdout.  The Russians did not cut internet access.<ref>https://southfront.org/liberation-of-mariupol/</ref>  More than 142,000 civilians had been evacuated from the city.  Gen Shoigu declared victory in the battle.  An estimated 9,000-10,000 Ukrainian forces and mercenaries had been killed in  the battle.