Who is Ukraine’s Azov Battalion, the ‘ultra-nationalist’ group claiming chemical weapon attacks? – National

The Ukrainian authorities and its Western allies have been warning that an more and more determined Russian army may resort to chemical warfare for weeks.

That risk appeared to materialize on Monday, after Ukraine introduced it was investigating “unverified” info that Russian troops used chemical weapons within the besieged southern metropolis of Mariupol.

In contrast to different studies of Russian atrocities in locations like Bucha, which had been shortly corroborated by Ukrainian and worldwide authorities, the studies of chemical warfare in Mariupol have been handled with warning and skepticism.

That’s partly as a result of supply of the allegations: the far-right, ‘ultra-nationalist’ Azov militia group.

Azov chief Andriy Biletsky instructed the Kyiv Unbiased newspaper that three folks in Mariupol displayed “clear indicators of chemical poisoning” on April 11 — though Biletsky mentioned there have been no “disastrous penalties” for his or her well being.

The unverified accusation set off alarm that Russia, already accused of an unlawful invasion, massacring civilians and torture, had crossed one other line in its more and more bloody battle.

However to grasp why Azov’s claims are met with better skepticism, you must know in regards to the regiment’s historical past – and it’s function within the info warfare being waged alongside Russia’s invasion.

Azov was fashioned in Could 2014 as a “volunteer police battalion” in line with Anton Shekhovstov, the director of Austria’s Centre for Democratic Integrity and a researcher on far-right teams in Europe. Their formation was straight influenced by Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

“The unique battalion consisted principally of soccer hooligans and members of the Ukrainian far-right, and it was the far-right group ‘Patriot of Ukraine’ that was answerable for the unique battalion,” Shekhovstov wrote.

“A number of key individuals who had been straight concerned within the formation of the Azov battalion had an especially doubtful historical past of cooperating not solely with pro-Russian forces in Ukraine but additionally with Russian political spin-doctors.

“Furthermore, neither Azov nor different battalions did correct screening of volunteers, a few of whom got here from Russia. All that created an enormous safety threat of Russian operatives seizing management of Azov and turning into an anti-Ukrainian power.”

Shekhovstov wrote that a few of the far-right components in Azov departed to try to capitalize on the regiment’s army success, significantly in liberating Mariupol. However the far-right political events in Ukraine failed to achieve an electoral foothold — in line with Shekhovstov, the far-right ticket acquired lower than 2.2 per cent of the popular vote.

However Azov continues to be a power, each in a army sense and within the propaganda battle. Russia’s “particular army operation” has the “de-nazification” of Ukraine as certainly one of its said targets. The truth that Azov’s detractors confer with them as extremists with neo-Nazi roots assists in that propaganda marketing campaign.

“But when we take a look at the precise details, then within the final parliamentary elections in Ukraine, then the acute proper forces obtained lower than three per cent (of the favored vote), which meant that they didn’t even get represented in parliament and as a substitute by an awesome majority, a Jewish president was elected,” mentioned Andres Kasekamp, a professor with the Munk Faculty of World Affairs at College of Toronto.

“And should you consider that three per cent, should you go searching at a lot of the West, particularly Europe, then most European international locations have excessive proper teams that are in parliament with way more than three per cent.”

Based on the Kyiv Unbiased, Azov claimed {that a} “toxic substance” had been “distributed by a drone.” Victims reported a shortness of breath and “vestibullocerebellar ataxia,” a neurological dysfunction, the regiment mentioned.

The Ukrainian authorities has not confirmed the usage of chemical weapons, and U.S. and U.Ok. intelligence businesses — who’ve been releasing intelligence studies earlier than and all through the Russian invasion — have mentioned they’re conscious of the allegations however haven’t confirmed them.

“There’s a principle that these might be phosphorous munitions,” mentioned Hanna Malyar, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, on Tuesday.

“Official info will come later.”

U.S. officers mentioned final week that it had delivered gear to protect Ukrainian troopers towards chemical and organic weaponry.

Russia has denied the usage of chemical weapons in Ukraine, and has accused the Ukrainian authorities — with out proof — of getting ready to make use of chemical weapons themselves. The Kremlin and its proxies on the web have additionally been lively in spreading conspiracy theories about U.S. biolabs in Ukraine — a pretext, some observers have argued, for the usage of chemical weapons by Russian forces.

However Western intelligence businesses — together with within the U.S. and U.Ok. — have been hesitant to substantiate Azov’s reporting, regardless of a normal willingness to share delicate intelligence in regards to the Russian invasion.

Affirmation would put much more stress on Western governments to help Ukraine of their battle. But when Azov’s claims are disproven or discredited, the Kremlin could have one other arrow in its quiver to discredit Ukrainian claims of atrocities.

— with information from Reuters.