U.S. lifts weapon ban on Azov brigade

The Biden Administration has authorized the Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine to use U.S. weapons.

The ban imposed about ten years ago was lifted.

The Washington Post reported on this with reference to the U.S. Department of State.

Now, the brigade will have access to the same U.S. military assistance as any other unit.

In addition to U.S. weapons and equipment, the brigade will be able to participate in exercises organized by the United States.

After a thorough review, Ukraine’s 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade passed Leahy vetting as carried out by the U.S. Department of State, referring to the “Leahy Law” that prevents U.S. military assistance from going to foreign units credibly found to have committed major human rights violations.

In its statement, the State Department said that it had found no evidence of such violations by the 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade of the National Guard.

A State Department spokesman declined to comment on when the ban was lifted and whether U.S. weaponry had already reached Azov Brigade personnel.

The brigade’s press service shared that this was the result of a long and painstaking work that Azov Brigade soldiers systematically conducted against Russian propaganda.

They noted that receiving Western weapons and training from the United States would not only increase Azov’s combat capability but also help save the lives and health of the brigade’s personnel.

“This is a new page in the history of our unit. Azov Brigade is becoming even more powerful, more professional, and even more dangerous for the invaders,” the Azov Brigade emphasized.

In April, Denys “Redis” Prokopenko called on the United States to exclude the Azov Brigade from the appropriations bill. The Colonel pointed out that the Leahy Law had been applied to the Azov Brigade without any evidence, based on the characterization of Western media that had formed their attitude under the influence of Russian propaganda.