Five Ukrainian commanders of the Azov Regiment, extolled in Ukraine for defending the port city of Mariupol last year during an 80-day Russian siege before they surrendered as prisoners of war, have been given a heroes’ welcome after returning home.
“We will definitely have our say in battle,” Mr. Prokopenko, the regiment’s commander told reporters in Lviv.
Asked whether he would fight on the front lines, he replied, “That is why we returned to Ukraine.”Moscow reacted angrily to the news that the Azov fighters had returned to Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, accused Turkey of breaking an agreement to keep the men on its territory until the end of the war in Ukraine.
The government in Kyiv did not offer a public explanation of how or why the fighters came to be returned to Ukraine.
Persons:
Volodymyr Zelensky, Denys Prokopenko, ” Mr, Prokopenko, ” Moscow, Dmitri S, Peskov
Organizations:
Azov Regiment, Twitter, Azov
Locations:
Ukraine, Mariupol, Lviv, Turkey, Russia, Kyiv