The commander of “Azov” states: there was not a single soldier from the regiment in the exchange with Russia
Colonel Denys Prokopenko, known by his call sign "Redis" and commander of the National Guard brigade "Azov," made a shocking statement regarding the recent prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. According to him, during the three-day negotiation process with Russia, not a single fighter from the legendary "Azov" regiment was returned. He believes this reflects a treacherous policy by the Ukrainian authorities regarding the return of our defenders, and he is not inclined to believe that state institutions are genuinely interested in repatriating "Azov" members. Using his Facebook page, Prokopenko emphasized that out of the one thousand Ukrainian prisoners involved in the negotiations, not a single "Azov" member was included. "Not a single Azov fighter. Among the one thousand Ukrainian captives exchanged today, there is not a single one of our soldiers. Instead, they returned a scoundrel who begged for a knife from the guards so he could cut our defenders. This appears to be mockery, a real mockery of those who have already been under inhumane pressure in Russian captivity for the past four years," he stated. The colonel highlighted that this situation is not only a blow to faith in the just return of prisoners but also a shame for the Ukrainian leadership. He added that during this time, the authorities should have understood the truth: that "Azov" fighters who fell into captivity did not do so voluntarily but on orders from higher command. Therefore, according to Prokopenko, they should be prioritized in exchange processes. Source: a Facebook post by Colonel Prokopenko The commander expressed deep disappointment that more than four years have passed since Ukraine began seeking to bring "Azov" members home. The memory of the third anniversary of the Mariupol garrison’s exit from "Azovstal" had rekindled hope that future exchange lists among the 1,000 Ukrainians would include members of this regiment. However, those hopes have not been fulfilled. Prokopenko openly admits: he believes the main reason for the absence of "Azov" fighters in the lists is Russia’s unwillingness to return these particular soldiers. He states that there are many ways and opportunities to bring our heroes back, but the Ukrainian authorities, unfortunately, do not utilize them sufficiently. "I am convinced that within our state politics there are many schemes and methods to achieve the return of our guys. Ukraine today is heavily infiltrated by Russian agents—both in information and combat spheres. This is well known to all security services, and for them, the work is not complicated—they just need to give the appropriate command. The Moscow Patriarchate, which openly fights on Russia’s side, works in its interests, and this must be taken into account. That’s why, in Prokopenko’s view, it is necessary to seek new approaches and strategies to overcome this disgraceful situation. Otherwise, we risk losing any chance to bring our boys from captivity, which would be a betrayal of everyone who lost loved ones in this war." The "Azov" commander emphasizes that the situation is very complicated, and the ongoing struggle to bring fighters home increasingly resembles fighting windmills. "Having not a single 'Azov' fighter among those 1,000 exchanged is a shame for the entire Ukrainian state. It shows how much our interests and values have been sidelined in this war," he noted. He also stressed that until the Ukrainian leadership begins to work firmly and systematically towards returning prisoners, the situation will not change. Prokopenko is confident that it is time to review the strategy and start applying new approaches to bring our heroes back. "We need to propose to the Russians that those who carry more weight than an Odessa contract soldier—those who are more valuable and stronger—be exchanged for our people. Otherwise, all these negotiations will remain empty words," the commander concluded. He urged Ukrainian security services and political leadership to stop playing with false formalities and to act decisively to bring their people home, fostering hope for victory and justice.