Attributed: "with neo-nazi elements": "Ukraine's nationalists and the Azov battalion". Financial Times. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022. Kim Scheppele (Princeton University): Now, the current Azov battalion is much less of a neo-Nazi formation than it was, but there's still remnants of neo-Nazis in that battalion. And that's the one little tiny piece of Ukraine where this neo-Nazi sort of propaganda has a slight bit of truth.
"has been accused": Berman, Lazar; Newman, Marissa (17 May 2022). "Senior Zelensky aide to ToI: We are waiting for Israel to change its stance on war". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 20 May 2022. One of the Ukrainian units still holding out in the steel plant over the weekend is the Azov Regiment, a formation that has been accused since its formation in 2014 of associations with neo-Nazi ideology
"with neo-nazi elements"/"has been accused": Patrick J. McDonnell; David Pierson; Tracy Wilkinson; Parvini, Sarah (18 May 2022). "U.S. to offer Sweden security guarantees as war in Ukraine enters a new phase". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 May 2022. Lawmakers had cited the Azov regiment, a militia with neo-Nazi roots that was absorbed into Ukraine's military and which Moscow says still comprises Nazis.
""formerly": Davidson, Vladislav (18 May 2022). "The Defenders of Mariupol". Tablet. Retrieved 14 May 2022. Branding the Azov Battalion as 'neo-Nazi' long after it shed its far-right origins is part of a deafening corruption of public discourse. [...] the Azov Battalion, a special operations detachment of the Ukrainian National Guard with a past neo-Nazi association [...] The original, post-Maidan composition of Azov was quickly diluted, and the ghost of Biletsky was replaced with regular officers of the Interior Ministry. By 2017, the battalion as a whole remained distinguished—but for its martial prowess, not for some distinct political ideology.
"with neo-nazi elements": Sokol, Sam (17 May 2022). "How many Jews fought at Mariupol's Azovstal plant? Depends who's counting - Europe". Haaretz. Retrieved 20 May 2022. Many of those fighting at the plant were members of the Azov Regiment – a far-right volunteer unit with neo-Nazi ties that was incorporated into the Ukrainian armed forces in 2014.
"with neo-nazi elements": Lamoureux, Mack (16 May 2022). "Pro-Kremlin Influencers Are Using the Buffalo Shooting to Undermine Ukraine". VICE. Retrieved 20 May 2022. The symbol was also used previously by Azov Battalion, an infamous group in the Ukrainian national guard with well-known neo-Nazi and extreme-right ties.
""formerly far-right militia"/""has been accused": Gall, Carlotta (14 May 2022). "Turkey Offers to Evacuate Mariupol Fighters Despite Disagreements". New York Times. Retrieved 14 May 2022. The evacuation of soldiers was complicated in particular by the inclusion of members of the Azov battalion, a former far-right militia now formally integrated into the Ukrainian Army. Russia has branded them as Nazis, and Mr. Putin has said the war was intended to carry out the 'denazification' of Ukraine.
"with neo-nazi elements": Forgey, Quint (12 May 2022). "The cruel irony of being arrested in Putin's Russia". POLITICO. Retrieved 17 May 2022. The organization perhaps most often mentioned by Russian state media is the Azov Battalion — founded as a volunteer militia and later incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine — which has attracted a significant number of members with far-right and neo-Nazi sympathies.
"has been accused": Colin, Freeman (12 May 2022). "Ukraine's 'wounded, crippled' Azovstal plant soldiers make last-ditch plea for rescue". Telegraph. Retrieved 12 May 2022. the Azov Battalion, the unit making a last stand at the plant ... The brigade's political outlook has also diluted since being formally integrated into the Ukraine military, with far-Right members leaving and new recruits joining mainly for its reputation of fighting prowess .... Many were said to have Nazi sympathies – although in Ukraine, which suffered Soviet as well as Nazi occupation, far-Right support can be as much about riling Moscow as claiming white supremacy ... Lt Ilya Samoylenko, a young, bearded commander who looks more like a Hoxton hipster than a neo-Nazi bootboy, told reporters: 'We are always accused of being paramilitary Neo-nazi bandits, and all this blah-blah bulls--- about being far-Right radicals. The only thing we are radical on is defending our country.'
"Does not mention" Hall, Ben (8 May 2022). "Ukrainian commanders lash out at Kyiv over Mariupol resistance". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 May 2022. The Azov regiment, the military unit that has been leading Ukraine's resistance from a last redoubt ... The Azov battalion has far-right origins but was incorporated into the Ukrainian armed forces in 2014 and is considered one of the best-trained parts of the military.
with neo-nazi elements"/"has been accused": Koshiw, Isobel (9 May 2022). "'Surrender is not an option': Azov battalion commander in plea for help to escape Mariupol". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2022. Azov fighters say its membership holds a range of political opinions. Azov formed as a volunteer battalion in 2014 to fight Russian-backed forces and some its leaders are known to hold far-right views. But since 2015, it has been part of the Ukrainian army and no longer attracts only far-right combatants. [...] Russia claims its members are neo-Nazis who are responsible for "Nazifying" Ukraine.
"says not neo-nazi": "Why 9 May Victory Day is so important for Russia". BBC. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022. The city may lie in ruins, but Russia has repeatedly talked of "de-Nazification and demilitarisation" of Ukraine and it may claim defeat of the Azov battalion, which it has falsely portrayed as Nazi. That would resonate on a day marking World War Two.
"with neo-nazi elements"/Attributed: "formerly: Heritage, Timothy (4 May 2022). "Ukrainian supporters rally behind embattled Azov regiment". France 24. Retrieved 12 May 2022. Ukraine's Azov regiment -- a far-right volunteer battalion turned Ukrainian national guard unit ... 'The Azov Regiment is part of the national guard of Ukraine, it is not an independent paramilitary unit anymore. The connection with right-wing, radical politicians remains in history,' said Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst.
"neo-nazi": Foresta, Mathew (29 April 2022). "Meet the Sneakiest Defenders of Putin's Invasion of Ukraine". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 17 May 2022. During the interview, Ritter claims there is a battalion of Azov in "every brigade" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces—a reference to the notorious neo-Nazi Azov battalion. While Azov is very real and represents a very serious and concerning part of the far right in Ukraine, Ritter's claims are misinformation.Note: The Daily Beast is considered to be a biased or opinionated source that should be used with caution.
"neo-nazi": Duggan, Joe (25 April 2022). "Photos show civilians hiding in Azovstal steelworks as Ukraine says Russia tried to storm plant". i News. Retrieved 28 April 2022. In a separate video released by the Azov battalion – an extremist, neo-Nazi group formed as a volunteer militia brigade in 2014 in Ukraine – a day earlier on Saturday, people trapped at the encircled plant said they are desperate to get out and are running out of food.
"neo-nazi": Sood, Jai (24 April 2022). "'Ukraine to withdraw from talks with Russia if Mariupol forces killed'". The Statesman. Retrieved 28 April 2022. However, President Vladimir Putin called off the assault on the Azovstal factory, which remains the last holdout of Ukrainian forces, including the fighters of the neo-Nazi Azov regiment, in the strategic port city.
Attributed: "neo-nazi": Mclean, Caitlin (23 April 2022). "Halper: Some lawmakers 'beating the drum' for World War III". The Hill. Retrieved 17 May 2022. Halper said the U.S. is still treating the war in Ukraine as a proxy war by providing arms to Ukraine, some of which are reaching groups like the far-right neo-Nazi Azov Batalian.
"with neo-nazi elements": Watling, Jack (23 April 2022). "In Mariupol, Putin now rules a wasteland pitted with mass graves". the Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2022. Mariupol's defenders were made up of marines and members of the Azov battalion, a unit associated with a far-right political party and containing a significant proportion of neo-Nazis.
"neo-nazi"/"has been accused": "Israeli weapon seen used by Neo-Nazi Ukrainian unit against Russia". The Jerusalem Post. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022. An anti-armor weapon jointly developed by Israel, Singapore and a German company has been seen in operational use by the Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion against Russian military forces." and "The recently published video shows that these partly Israeli-developed weapons are now in the hands of the Azov Battalion, which has been widely characterized as a neo-Nazi militia.
"formerly/with neo-nazi elements": Follorou, Jacques (17 April 2022). "War in Ukraine: The Azov brigade's last stand in Mariupol". Le Monde. Retrieved 22 April 2022. Yet its integration in September 2014 into Ukraine's National Guard and the recruitment of many candidates without political affiliation, attracted only by its reputation as an elite corps, have gradually marginalized the most extremist elements. This troop is now characterized by Western military experts as "ultranationalist" and "anti-Russian."
Attributed: "formerly/with neo-nazi elements": Miller, Jonas; Kagermeier, Elisabeth (13 April 2022). "Azov Regiment: Ukrainian Heroes or Extremists?". Bayerischer Rundfunk/Bavarian Broadcasting (In German). Retrieved 29 April 2022. Azov itself propagates this distinction: Regiment and party (movement) are independent of each other. They are two sides of the same coin, Stephan Kramer, head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Thuringia, tells ARD. According to Lara Schultz, there is also an "incompatibility decision": active fighters could not become party members. An employee of a German security agency also supports this assessment: at the regiment, a right-wing extremist ideology plays "rather a subordinate role," she says in an interview with #Faktenfuchs; she does not want to be named. The regiment, however, is only showing itself to be more moderate. Extremism researcher Alexander Ritzmann of the Counter Extremism Project told ARD in March 2022 that the regiment had also disarmed in its symbolism. The wolfsangel - a symbol used by right-wing extremists - is still in the Azov emblem, he said, but other extremist symbols have been removed. In Ukrainian, the wolfsangel means something like "our nation.
Attributed: "neo-nazi": "Canada failed when it trained Ukrainian troops linked to the far right, says Nazi hunter". Ottawa Citizen. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022. Others have claimed allegations made against the Azov regiment are part of a Russian disinformation campaign. Zuroff dismisses such claims. "It's not Russian propaganda, far from it," he explained. "These people are neo-Nazis. There is an element of the ultra-right in Ukraine and it's absurd to ignore it."
"with neo-nazi elements": Katerji, Oz (12 April 2022). "By focusing on the Azov Battalion we are falling into Putin's trap". The New Statesman. Retrieved 14 April 2022. There is no way to sugar-coat this story: the racist views of senior Azov figures since its founding can be accurately described as neo-Nazi.
"neo-nazi"/Attributed: "formerly": Azhari, Khaldon (10 April 2022). "Ukrainian Azov Battalion removed from Japan's International Terrorists' list". Arab News Japan. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Japan's Public Security Intelligence Agency removed the Ukrainian ultra-right, neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, which has been fighting the Russian-backed groups since 2014, from its International Terrorism Guide 2021 and apologized for having it on the list...Azov Battalion was reportedly established as a military infantry unit made up of volunteers belonging to the far-right, neo-Nazi groups active in Ukraine. In November 2014, Azov recaptured the strategic port city of Mariupol from the pro-Russian groups.
Attributed: "formerly": Romandash, Anna (10 April 2022). "Why has "Azov" become Putin and Xi's favorite propaganda weapon?". CommonWealth Magazine (Name in Chinese: 天下雜誌). Retrieved 12 April 2022. "The narrative related to "Azov" is very bizarre. It is wrong to call them Neo-Nazis because even the fact that the unit includes people of different nationalities proves the opposite." Matviyishyn explains, that the regiment includes very many different people of various ethnicities such as Jews, Ukrainians, Georgians, and even Russians. "Azov" has gone through a transformation in comparison to how it was when it was founded. "In the beginning, it had these right-wing radicals political ideologies, but now, it is depoliticized unit, a part of Ukraine's Armed Forces."
"formerly/with neo-nazi elements": Krähenbühl, Hélène (8 April 2022). "Meeting the Azov regiment, accused by Russia of being infested with "neo-Nazis"?". Radio Télévision Suisse (In French). Retrieved 12 April 2022. But the gradual arrival of new apolitical members expanded the regiment to the point that the far-right ideology became marginal.
"with neo-nazi elements": Raghavan, Sudarasan; Morris, Loveday; Parker, Claire (6 April 2022). "Right-wing Azov Battalion emerges as a controversial defender of Ukraine". Washington Post. Retrieved 11 April 2022. The Azov battalion is also not what it was in 2014. Ever since it was incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard late that year, they "had to purge a lot of those extremist elements," said Mollie Saltskog, a senior intelligence analyst at the Soufan Group. "There was much more control exerted over who is affiliated with the battalions.
Attributed: "formerly/with neo-nazi elements": Philip, Catherine (30 March 2022). "Azov Battalion: 'We are patriots – we're fighting the real Nazis of the 21st century'". The Times. Retrieved 13 April 2022. Azov has its fair share of football hooligans and ultranationalists but also scholars like Zaikovsky, who worked as a translator and book editor. Anton Shekhovtsov, an expert in the European right, claims Azov has evolved so far from its origins as to make its far-right roots meaningless.
"with neo-nazi elements": Lister, Tim; John, Tara (29 March 2022). "A far-right battalion has a key role in Ukraine's resistance. Its neo-Nazi history has been exploited by Putin". CNN. Retrieved 11 April 2022. For Putin, who has falsely claimed Ukraine's government is run by "drug addicts and neo-Nazis," Azov presents an obvious target. Moscow has given the regiment an outsized role in the conflict, routinely accusing it of human rights abuses...In the Russian disinformation playbook, the Azov movement is a tempting target -- one where fact and disinformation can be elided...Rekawek, an expert on foreign fighters at C-REX, said Azov has only been able to recruit 20 foreign fighters since the start of the 2022 invasion.
Attributed: "formerly/has been accused": Schipani, Andres; Olearchyk, Roman (29 March 2022). "'Don't confuse patriotism and Nazism': Ukraine's Azov forces face scrutiny". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Azov's history is rooted in a volunteer battalion formed by the leadership of a neo-Nazi group. But it is certain that Azov has depoliticised itself," said Anton Shekhovtsov, a Vienna-based Ukrainian expert on Russia's connections to Europe's far-right. "Its history linked to the far-right movement is pretty irrelevant today.
"formerly/with neo-nazi elements": Atkins, Ros (26 March 2022). "Ukraine war: Ros Atkins on... Putin's false 'Nazi' claims". BBC. Retrieved 12 April 2022. Adrien Nonjon (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales): "Azov opened its recruitment to the whole of Ukrainian society and eventually this radical core was drowned out by the mass of newcomers who joined the regiment because it was an elite unit". Ros Atkins (BBC): "Despite the evolving membership, questions about Neo-Nazi links remain... There is though no evidence such sentiment is widespread [in the regiment]"
Attributed: "formerly/has been accused": "Azov Regiment takes centre stage in Ukraine propaganda war". France 24. AFP. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Some call them war heroes, others neo-Nazis...In 2014 this battalion had indeed a far-right background, these were far-right racists that founded the battalion," said Andreas Umland at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies. 'But it had since become "de-ideologised"' and a regular fighting unit, he told AFP.
"with neo-nazi elements": Sommerlad, Joe (24 March 2022). "Who are Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov Battalion?". The Independent. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Following its victories in Mariupol and Marinka in the summer of 2014, the battalion – known for wearing black fatigues, sporting Nazi tattoos and going into battle with swastikas drawn on its helmets – was officially absorbed into the Ukrainian National Guard in November of that year, soon becoming a regiment.
"with neo-nazi elements": "The Azov Battalion: How Putin built a false premise for a war against "Nazis" in Ukraine". www.cbsnews.com. CBS News. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022. "There are no Nazi battalions in Ukraine," said Ruslan Leviev, an analyst with the Conflict Intelligence Team, which tracks the Russian military in Ukraine. "There is [the Azov] regiment... There are [estimated] several thousand people who are in this regiment. It is indeed a group where many members adhere to nationalist and far-right views," Leviev said. "But a lot of people also join it because it is one of the most prepared and fit-for-war units."...The Azov Battalion stepped in [in 2014]. It was better-equipped and prepared to do much of the frontline fighting against the separatists. The unit has its roots in aggressive fan clubs that support regional soccer teams, known as "ultras," but as the fighting ramped up, they attracted various far-right activists, who often made no secret of their neo-Nazi sympathies. The militia was founded by Andriy Biletsky, an ultra-nationalist political figure who previously led groups including the openly neo-Nazi Social-National Assembly (SNA), which preached an ideology of racial purity for Ukraine.
"neo-nazi": Ali, Taz (19 March 2022). "Ukraine could follow Afghanistan into years of turmoil as West adopts 'mujahideen model' with weapons". i News. Retrieved 14 April 2022. The Ukrainian National Guard, part of the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs, was formed in 2014 to incorporate paramilitary and volunteer batallions to fight against pro-Russian seperatists in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Among them was the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion.
"with neo-nazi elements": Goncharenko, Roman (16 March 2022). "The Azov Battalion: Extremists defending Mariupol". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Umland said a legend had grown around Azov because of Russian propaganda. He said that volunteer fighters, including Azov, had been accused of looting and improper behavior in 2014..."Normally, we consider right-wing extremism to be dangerous, something that can lead to war," Umland said. But in Ukraine, it is the other way around, he argued. The war had led to the rise and transformation of marginal comradeships into a political movement. But their influence on society is overrated, he said. For most Ukrainians, they are combatants fighting an overbearing aggressor.
"with neo-nazi elements": Benjakob, Omer (14 March 2022). "Russia's War on Truth: Top Wikipedia Editor Arrested Amidst Ukraine Censorship". Haaretz. Retrieved 17 April 2022. Though Putin's bogus claims of "denazifying" Ukraine were called out, in English, the article on the contemporary far-right neo-Nazi Ukrainian paramilitary group, known as the Azov Battalion, has become a battleground, with some attempts to whitewash the group and deny their use of a Nazi symbol and neo-Nazi sentiments
Attributed: "formerly": Paulik, Jakub (14 March 2022). "Azov Battalion, saluting fighters and purging of radicals. We can't compare their current state with the past, analysts say". Refresher (In Czech). Retrieved 13 April 2022. They made no secret of their inclination to Nazism...According to analyst Michal Lebduška, however, Azov has since been greatly cleansed of radicals, and even in 2014 neo-Nazis were only in the minority. "It is true that this battalion was considered problematic in the past because it also originated from the ranks of nationalists and Nazis. However, not all members were radicals and formed a significant minority from the beginning. Over time, volunteer units were integrated into the Ukrainian Army or the National Guard of Ukraine...By the time they were included in these parallel structures, they had more or less purged them of radicals. To a large extent, they have disappeared from these units," Lebduška, who specializes in security, social and political developments in Ukraine, told Refresher. Security analyst Vladimír Bednár has the same attitude to the matter. "There is a big difference between Azov in 2014 and now... There was a significant cleansing. People associated with neo-Nazi ideology had to leave Azov after integration into the National Guard. Therefore, the current Azov cannot be associated with this from 2014 at all. It has the same name, but it must be seen as two separate things," he told us.
"neo-nazi": Smith, Adam (11 March 2022). "Russia moves to ban Instagram and calls Meta 'extremists'". The Independent. Retrieved 26 April 2022. Controversially, however, these "temporary measures" also allowed for praise of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, which has admitted to recruiting neo-Nazis and is currently being armed in the fight against Russia.
"neo-nazi": Brown, Larisa (10 March 2022). "Russian commander 'killed' as convoy caught in Ukrainian ambush". The Times. Retrieved 26 April 2022. The Ukrainians were understood to be from the neo-Nazi Azov regiment, which has been expanded to become part of Ukraine's armed forces.
"neo-nazi": "Russia, Ukraine and the spectre of 1941". Financial Times. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022. Neo-Nazis joined Ukraine's Euromaidan protest movement of 2014, and the neo-Nazi Azov battalion has fought Russia since the Donbas.
"with neo-nazi elements": Benjamin, Medea; Davies, Nicolas J.S. (10 March 2022). "Are there really neo-Nazis fighting for Ukraine? Well, yes". Salon. Retrieved 14 April 2022. Despite Svoboda's declining success in national elections, neo-Nazi and extreme nationalist groups, increasingly linked to the Azov Battalion, have maintained power on the street in Ukraine, and in local politics in the Ukrainian nationalist heartland around Lviv in western Ukraine.
"formerly": "Did the infamous Azov Battalion inspire Putin's 'denazification' claim?". The Jerusalem Post. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022. The battalion has been a bastion of neo-Nazis and extreme right-wing figures...However, since its incorporation into Ukraine's official armed forces it has moved away from neo-Nazism, and a Ukrainian Jewish group as early as 2016 did not oppose lifting the US ban.
"with neo-nazi elements": "Profile: Who are Ukraine's far-right Azov regiment?". Al Jazeera. 1 March 2022. a Ukrainian far-right military regiment is back in the headlines [...] Azov is a far-right all-volunteer infantry military unit whose members – estimated at 900 – are ultra-nationalists [...] hardcore far-right ultra-nationalism is pervasive among members [...] the unit carried out pogroms against the Roma community and attacked members of the LGBTQ community.
"with neo-nazi elements": Farrukh, Rimal (1 March 2022). "Ukraine's 'Neo-Nazi' Battalion Is Greasing Bullets in Pig Fat for Russia's Muslim Soldiers". www.vice.com. Vice News. Retrieved 11 April 2022. The Azov Battalion is an ultranationalist volunteer arm of the National Guard of Ukraine that was formally infused into its ranks after it fought against pro-Russian separatists in 2014. The battalion has been accused of espousing neo-Nazi beliefs and reportedly continues to bear Wolfsangel insignia, used by Nazi units during World War II.
Attributed: "neo-nazi": Dearden, Lizzie (27 February 2022). "British volunteers who travel to fight in Ukraine could violate terror laws". The Independent. Retrieved 26 April 2022. Quoting Jonathan Hall QC: "But there is always the possibility of less desirable cases at the edges - individuals who travel to Ukraine under false pretence either to support Russia or fight with an ideological group such as the neo-Nazi Azov battalion."
"with neo-nazi elements": Hume, Tim (24 February 2022). "Why Vladimir Putin Trotted Out a 'Nazi' Smear to Justify Invading Ukraine". VICE. Retrieved 20 May 2022. Azov – which features the Nazi Wolfsangel logo on its uniforms, is led by figures with deep roots in the country's neo-Nazi scene, and attracted right-wing extremist foreign fighters into its ranks from across the world – was formally incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard in late 2014, bringing its extremists onto the government payroll.
"neo-nazi": Biddle, Sam (24 February 2022). "Facebook Allows Praise of Neo-Nazi Ukrainian Battalion If It Fights Russian Invasion". The Intercept. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Facebook will temporarily allow its billions of users to praise the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi military unit previously banned from being freely discussed under the company's Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy, The Intercept has learned.
Attributed:"with neo-nazi elements"/"formerly?": "Mariupol's outnumbered defenders refuse to give in". The Economist. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022. Whether the group is still extremist is another question. Azov was incorporated into the National Guard and army structure in 2015. Since then, it has been through a process of professionalisation, with far-right extremists, symbols and ideologies largely filtered out. Michael Colborne, an investigative journalist, author of a forthcoming book on Azov and a longtime critic of the movement, says the process was never completed.
2021
Attributed: "neo-nazi": Bogdana, Alexandrowskaja; Stork, Anna (5 December 2021). "Belarus torture survivors take legal action in Germany". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Because of the T-shirt, Belarus police accused him of sympathizing with the Azov Battalion, a neo-Nazi volunteer regiment fighting in eastern Ukraine. The group's logo, however, does not actually feature a skull.Note: some users participating in an RSN discussion do not consider this source reliable.
"neo-nazi": McKenzie, Nick; Tozer, Joel (22 August 2021). "ADF at risk of neo-Nazi infiltration after ex-soldiers passport cancelled". The Age. Retrieved 13 May 2022. In January 2020, Foreign Minister Marise Payne cancelled Mr Sretenovic's passport on the basis he was preparing to fight with the notoriously neo-Nazi Azov Battalion in Ukraine.
"with neo-nazi elements": "'Disinformation efforts' to discredit Belarus activist". France 24/AFP. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022. ...the Azov battalion, some of whose soldiers have been known to harbour white supremacist and neo-Nazi views.
"with neo-nazi elements": Wesolowsky, Tony (9 June 2021). "Jailed Belarusian Pratasevich Dogged By Claims He Fought For Azov Battalion In Ukraine". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 25 April 2022. ...the Azov Battalion, a nationalist force with neo-Nazi roots that has played a prominent role in the conflict that erupted as Kremlin-backed separatists seized parts of the Donbas in 2014... "Though it is true that its leaders are known for far-right beliefs and the broader Azov movement is in touch with the foreign far-right, there is no evidence that every single person [involved] shares neo-Nazi beliefs," [Hanna Hrystenko, a Kyiv-based researcher of the far right] wrote.
"with neo-nazi elements": Hume, Tim; McLoughlin, Louise; Bennett, Tom (14 May 2021). "How a War on the Edge of Europe Became a Training Ground for the Far-Right". VICE News. Retrieved 21 April 2022. While Azov has publicly sought to downplay its extremist elements, its radical politics are undeniable. Many of its members openly espouse white supremacist ideology; some sport neo-Nazi tattoos. [...] the Azov ecosystem has helped to sustain a flourishing far-right underground in Ukraine. Azov-affiliated extremists run neo-Nazi music festivals, clothing lines, and MMA tournaments — while the group has continued to actively network and court support from far-right radicals worldwide.
"with neo-nazi elements": Biermann, Kai; Fuchs, Christian; Geisler, Astrid; Musharbash, Yassin; Stark, Holger (11 February 2021). "Fascism: The Brown Internationale". Die Zeit. Retrieved 27 May 2022. Using WhatsApp, Oberhuber contacted a German neo-Nazi who he hoped could bring him to the front. The German turned out to be a functionary with the Misanthropic Division, which recruited fighters for the Azov Battalion in Ukraine from almost 20 countries. [...] Other former right-wing extremists told DIE ZEIT of neo-Nazis who joined the Azov Battalion primarily to receive weapons training.
"with neo-nazi elements": Ragozin, Leonid; Skibitskaya, Yuliana (9 January 2021). "Telegram has a Nazi problem". Rest of World. Retrieved 28 April 2022. Far-right activists were among the first to form combat-ready units...The most prominent of these volunteer groups was the so-called Azov battalion, which later became an autonomous regiment under the auspices of Ukraine's National Guard. From that, a number of political, veteran, and paramilitary organizations emerged, which members now refer to as the Azov movement.
"neo-nazi": Katz, Rita (9 July 2020). "Neo-Nazis Are Running Out of Places to Hide Online". Wired. Retrieved 11 April 2022. The group maintains ties to organizations like Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary group, and Atomwaffen Division, a US-based neo-Nazi paramilitary group that is now largely defunct.Note: at least one user considers this source unreliable for this claim: [1]
2019
"with neo-nazi elements": Parafianowicz, Zbigniew (15 November 2019). "Azow to realny problem. Neonazistowski pułk opłaca ukraińskie wojsko, policję i ministerstwa". www.gazetaprawna.pl (in Polish). Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Retrieved 11 April 2022. A campaign to defend Azov's good name has been going on for several weeks in Ukraine. It is bound by the slogan "Defense of the fatherland is not terrorism", and it is attended by activists from far-right, neo-Nazi organizations, as well as mainstream politicians and high-ranking officials.
"neo-nazi": Golinkin, Lev (2019-08-13). "The world needs to take the white supremacy threat seriously". CNN. Retrieved 2022-04-27. Indeed, last October, the FBI arrested members of the white supremacist Rise Above Movement who had allegedly attended events hosted by Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov organization. By now, numerous Western journalists have chronicled Azov's crusade to turn Ukraine into a hub of international white supremacy.
"with neo-nazi elements": Hume, Tom (31 July 2019). "Far-Right Extremists Have Been Using Ukraine's War as a Training Ground. They're Returning Home". VICE News. Retrieved 21 April 2022. signed up to fight with the Azov Battalion, a newly formed far-right militia with deep neo-Nazi ties [...] Azov, in particular, has produced ISIS-like propaganda videos, distributed pamphlets at neo-Nazi concerts in Western Europe, and sent speakers to far-right conferences in Scandinavia. Though the group denies it is neo-Nazi, and publicly stated in 2014 that "only 10 to 20 percent" of its forces identified as neo-Nazis, its first commander and now leader of its political wing has a history in neo-Nazi groups. Their recruitment efforts have targeted far-right networks [...] Joachim Furholm, a Norwegian neo-Nazi and recruiter for Azov, used an interview with a U.S. white nationalist outlet last year to encourage U.S. extremists to join him. [...] Through the influence of Azov, in particular, Ukraine has increasingly played just such a role, emerging as a key hub in a transnational extreme-right network.
"neo-nazi": "Ukraine Jews anxious despite Jewish PM, president". Jerusalem Post. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2022-04-27. Examples include the presence of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion within the Ukrainian National Guard, which has been accused of war crimes during the conflict in the east and sanctioned by the US Congress for its ultranationalist and white supremacist ties.
Attributed: "neo-nazi": Bucci, Nino (22 April 2019). "Government can't stop five fighters returning to Australia from far-right conflict". ABC News. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Five Australians travelled to fight alongside Russian-backed nationalist militia in Ukraine, according to intelligence provided to the Australian Federal Police, raising concerns the group has been exposed to combat experience that could threaten Australia's national security.
"neo-nazi": Golinkin, Lev (22 February 2019). "Neo-Nazis and the Far Right Are On the March in Ukraine". The Nation. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Post-Maidan Ukraine is the world's only nation to have a neo-Nazi formation in its armed forces. The Azov Battalion was initially formed out of the neo-Nazi gang Patriot of Ukraine. Andriy Biletsky, the gang's leader who became Azov's commander, once wrote that Ukraine's mission is to "lead the White Races of the world in a final crusade…against the Semite-led Untermenschen." Biletsky is now a deputy in Ukraine's parliament.
2018
"with neo-nazi elements": Brown, John (9 July 2018). "Rights Groups Demand Israel Stop Arming neo-Nazis in Ukraine". Haaretz. Retrieved 25 April 2022. The Azov militia was established in Ukraine following the Russian invasion of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. The militia's emblems are well-known national socialist ones. Its members use the Nazi salute and carry swastikas and SS insignias. Moreover, some of them openly admit they have neo-Nazi sentiments and that they are Holocaust deniers.
"with neo-nazi elements": Bennetts, Marc (13 March 2018). "Ukraine's National Militia: 'We're not neo-Nazis, we just want to make our country better'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2022. They are members of the National Militia, an ultranationalist organisation closely linked to Ukraine's Azov movement, a far-right group with a military wing that contains openly neo-Nazi members, and its political spin-off, the National Corpus party.
Attributed: "neo-nazi": Rawlinson, Kevin (2 March 2018). "Neo-Nazi groups recruit Britons to fight in Ukraine". the Guardian. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Neo-Nazi groups involved in the fighting in Ukraine are actively seeking to recruit British far-right activists, a leading anti-fascist watchdog has warned....According to Hope Not Hate, a group named the Misanthropic Division, which is linked to the Azov battalion, is working with representatives of UK-based far-right groups...to recruit activists to travel to Ukraine.
2017
"has been accused": "По ту сторону «Азова». Чем занимается в тылу самый известный полк Нацгвардии - ФОКУС". ФОКУС (in Russian). 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2022-05-20. In the media, Azov is often accused of adherence to far-right ideology, since the unit was created by right-wing activist Andriy Biletsky and his associates from the nationalist organizations Patriot of Ukraine and the Social-National Assembly. In addition, the design of the regiment actively uses symbols associated with the far-right movement. On the chevrons, against the background of the Black Sun symbol, an anagram of the letters N and I, the idea of a nation, is depicted. The anagram looks like a mirrored "wolf hook", the symbol of one of the divisions of the Nazi army, and according to UEFA rules, the "Black Sun" is forbidden to be used in football stadiums, since it is a neo-Nazi sign. In the regiment itself, accusations of cultivating a right-wing radical ideology are denied, they say, they have their own ideology, Azov, and the fighters are united by loyalty to Ukraine. "We have people who before the war considered themselves leftists, considered themselves rightists, but everyone reads the Prayer of a Ukrainian Nationalist."... Many wear clothes of special brands used in the right environment - Svastone, Thor Steinar. A former battalion fighter explains that most often these are elements of a subculture that are used more for shocking than for demonstrating a serious commitment to the ideas of Nazism: " Right-wing tattoos are a subculture, a protest against the existing value system, which does not carry anything like that, more for fun."...{{cite web}}: zero width space character in |quote= at position 460 (help)
"formerly": Mironova, Vera; Sergatskova, Ekaterina (1 August 2017). "How Ukraine Reined In Its Militias". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 12 April 2022. After the union, the government's first act was to root out two groups within Azov, foreign fighters and neo-Nazis, by vetting group members with background checks, observations during training, and a law requiring all fighters to accept Ukrainian citizenship. Fighters who did not pass this screening were offered the chance to join civilian volunteer corps to help the war effort; these corps assisted police, cleared snow (a crucial task in Ukraine), and even worked on a public radio.
Attributed: "not neo-nazi": Boichenko, Nina (2017). "Inside Ukraine's ideological renewal". New Eastern Europe. 28 (05): 70–75. ISSN2083-7372. Retrieved 12 April 2022. As I arrived, I saw a young man in a library and I told him there are rumours that they are neo-Nazis and that I do not want to believe it, but I came to ask", she says. "'No', the young man replied, 'we are nationalists, we have nothing against other nationalities and ethnic minorities, check the books – there is no Mein Kampf here.'" Indeed, there was not.
2016
"has been accused" / Attributed: "neo-nazi"/Attributed: "says not neo-nazi": Sokol, Sam (18 January 2016). "US lifts ban on funding 'neo-Nazi' Ukrainian militia". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 13 May 2022. Called a "neo-Nazi paramilitary militia" by Congressmen John Conyers Jr. and Ted Yoho, who cosponsored the bipartisan amendment, the battalion has been a source of controversy since its inception....Not everyone was so upset, however, with the Vaad of Ukraine, a Jewish communal body comprising a number of different organizations and known for its nationalist stance on many issues, coming out in favor of the move. "I appreciate this decision. It must be clearly understood: there is no kind of 'neo-Nazi Ukrainian militia' now. Azov is a regular military unit subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is not irregular division neither a political group. Its commanders and fighters might have personal political views as individuals, but as an armed police unit Azov is a part of the system of the Ukrainian defense forces," said anti-Semitism researcher Vyacheslav A. Likhachev, speaking on behalf of the Vaad.
"with neo-nazi elements": Allen, Christopher (13 August 2015). "European volunteers fighting in Eastern Ukraine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 May 2022. But others, including Mikael Skillt, the Swedish soldier who arrived in Ukraine during the protests on Maidan last February, came to fight for nationalism and their ultra-conservative political ideals regarding Ukraine. Andriy Biletsky, leader of two organisations, Social-National Assembly and the Patriot of Ukraine, is the founder of the Azov Regiment as a politically conservative paramilitary group. The political ideology of Azov has been softened as the battalion grew into a regiment and Biletsky entered the Ukrainian parliament, but many of the Europeans who came in the early stages of the conflict came to fight for their conservative political values. But, while the political fight is important, it is not the only thing that has brought these men here. Once on the front line, the war is less about advocating for political ideals than it is about fighting...These men are driven to the war for the experience of combat. Their politics evolved through their engagement in the conflict.
"neo-nazi": Kramer, Andrew E. (7 July 2015). "Islamic Battalions, Stocked With Chechens, Aid Ukraine in War With Rebels". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Another, the Azov group, is openly neo-Nazi, using the "Wolf's Hook" symbol associated with the SS. Without addressing the issue of the Nazi symbol, the Chechen said he got along well with the nationalists because, like him, they love their homeland and hate the Russians.
"neo-nazi/with neo-nazi elements": News, Postmedia (17 June 2015). "Fears that Canadian training mission in Ukraine may unintentionally help neo-Nazis groups". National Post. Retrieved 11 April 2022. U.S. lawmakers have voted to block American troops from training a unit with neo-Nazi members that's operating with Ukraine's forces — a move that raises questions about what safeguards Canada has to ensure it doesn't help extremist groups...The unit has continued to face accusations of neo-Nazi links.{{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
"with neo-nazi elements": Vickery, Matthew; Khalel, Sheren (15 April 2015). "'Christian Taliban's' crusade on Ukraine's front lines". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 11 April 2022. Serediuk originally fought the separatists in the east as part of the Azov Battalion – a notorious far-right Ukrainian militia organised by the neo-Nazi Social-National party. Serediuk didn't leave the Azov because of the neo-Nazi connections, however – extreme-right ideology doesn't bother him. What does irk him, however, is being around fighters who are not zealous in their religious convictions.
Attributed: "says not neo-nazi"/with neo-nazi elements": "Azov Battalion Is Not Neo-Nazi, But Some People In Battalion Are - Umland". Hromadske. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2022. Andreas Umland (in video): The battalion...is not neo nazi...but a few people who did build up the battalion were or are biological racists. In article: The Azov volunteer battalion has now been integrated into Ukraine's National Guard, but some of the biological racists that were originally in the battalion still remain, said Andreas Umland, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation. However, these racists with neo-Nazi views are a minority within the Azov battalion. The role of neo-Nazis in volunteer battalions has been blown way out of proportion in the media and has given the erroneous impression that all of Ukraine's volunteer battalions are populated with neo-Nazis, said Umland.
Discussion of Journalism sources, quotations, and assessments
This is an excellent list, and the chronological ordering adds considerable value.
I would move Branko Marcetic in The Jacobin to "Opinion-based editorials written by journalists". He is writing in an opinion website and has no relevant expertise. (RSP says There is a consensus that Jacobin is a generally reliable but biased source. Editors should take care to adhere to the neutral point of view policy when Some are extreme already, such as the neo-Nazi Azov battalion, which fights on the pro-Kiev side.using Jacobin as a source in articles, for example by quoting and attributing statements that present its authors' opinions, and ensuring that due weight is given to their perspective amongst others'.) Possibly also true of the two pieces in The Nation (RSP: Most editors consider The Nation a partisan source whose statements should be attributed. The publication's opinion pieces should be handled with the appropriate guideline. Take care to ensure that content from The Nation constitutes due weight in the article and conforms to the biographies of living persons policy.) Lev Golinkin's piece is opinion, but I would say his opinion is noteworthy as he is an expert on Ukraine. Carden's piece is more newsy, but highly partisan and there's no reason to think he has any relevant expertise. BobFromBrockley (talk) 11:10, 13 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Will add Attributed, and a link to the RSN discussion. If we get a consensus that we should remove the source entirely I'm happy to do that too.— Shibbolethink(♔♕)17:51, 13 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I think sources from 2014 and 2015 (e.g. Parfitt, Luhn) that are currently tagged red "neo-Nazi" are better tagged blue "formerly" as 2015 can't be source for present tense given other sources show clear changes. BobFromBrockley (talk) 11:10, 13 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I understand this criticism, but I would ask, in return, "Shouldn't we let users decide that for themselves?" My policy is almost always to lay as much as possible out in the open. And in this case, we have the year and timing right there in the source, listed right next to the author name. What if we added years to the list, as subheadings? Would that help? I don't want to define when we transition from "present" to "past" because it's clearly a spectrum, and each user would likely define it differently based on their own opinion of the group.— Shibbolethink(♔♕)17:58, 13 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thakur is an opinion piece by a journalist, so I’d move to that section. Katerji might be too, although his article includes primary reporting so I’d leave here. BobFromBrockley (talk) 09:47, 14 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Agreed about Thakur, The Features section is definitely an OpEds section as is most of that magazine. So I moved it to OpEd. But disagree about Katerji, I don't think it's opinion, I would consider it "analysis" which basically most of this section is along with basically all longform journalism. This is the kind of stuff that is less useful for questions like this, but basically all we have on both sides. Hard-hitting factual reporting tends to sidestep these issues or only give it passing mention.— Shibbolethink(♔♕)10:14, 14 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]
April BBC Source
This BBC source which I recently added: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61201548 was removed on the grounds that it "makes no mention of neo-nazi ideology", and my label of "formerly" was changed to "with neo-nazi elements" before that was done. In terms of removing it for "no mention of neo-nazi ideology", I don't think that is a reasonable grounds for removing it. There's no requirement that sources in this collection need to explicitly mention neo-nazi ideology, and whatever way that a source refers to the battalion is useful. It is referred to as "originally a far-right group" in the article. I think that far-right is certainly relevant to the question of neo-nazism, and that description is useful for seeing how the group is described in reliable sources. In terms of changing the label from "formerly" to "with neo-nazi elements", I'm more sympathetic to that interpretation. However, the wording in the article does almost exactly match the definition of "formerly". Saying that someone "was originally something" is almost exactly what formerly means. Formerly is defined as "in the past, earlier times"--Tristario (talk) 06:14, 1 May 2022 (UTC) — Tristario (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic. [reply]
#1 This source review is to assist with an RfC regarding the usage of the specific term "neo-Nazi" in the lede. #2 This BBC source does not use this term so, while it may still be useful to this discussion, it is misleading to claim it as an example of how the term is applied to Azov (other than it not being used - for which there is no category.) #3 Look at the following sentence: "Microsoft was originally a privately-owned technology company before being taken public in 1986." Does this sentence support the claim that Microsoft is "formerly a software company"? Vladimir.copic (talk) 08:12, 1 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
#1 This source review is "particularly focused on description of the group re: the "neo-nazi" question", and the rfc is not solely about whether Azov is neo-nazi or not, but how it should be described generally. This source is relevant for those things. #2 I agree that none of the labels fit the description of this article perfectly, however that applies to many of the other sources used here too. That isn't a good enough reason not to include them. And, there is actually a label for "does not mention"- this one: "Does not mention". #3 That doesn't support the claim that Microsoft is formerly a software company, but it certainly does support that it's formerly a "privately owned software company". I agree that formerly isn't a perfect description for how BBC refers to azov here, but it's the closest there is. If you required a stringent enough application of the categories that would just mean the exclusion of many relevant and useful sources.
I think that the concerns that you have about the labelling of this source are legitimate. So I would like the propose that the source be included, with the relevant quote, and either be labelled with ""Does not mention"" or ""with neo-nazi elements"", whichever you prefer. Perhaps if others disagree with the labelling they could give their thoughts too.--Tristario (talk) 08:44, 1 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
