The United States will allow Ukraine's Azov Brigade to use weapons provided by the U.S. to fight Russia's full-scale invasion, the U.S. State Department announced on June 10, reversing a long-standing policy.
"After thorough review, Ukraine's 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade passed Leahy vetting as carried out by the U.S. Department of State," the department said in a statement obtained by the Washington Post.
The statement refers to the "Leahy Law," which prohibts the U.S. from providing aid to foreign military units suspected of human rights violations.
The Azov Brigade, part of Ukraine's National Guard, became a symbol of Ukraine's resistance through their defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in the first three months of the full-scale war. Russian forces eventually took Mariupol in May 2022, capturing the remaining defenders.
The brigade has also sparked controversy over its alleged association with far-right groups, a narrative often exploited in Russian propaganda campaigns.
The U.S. banned the Azov Brigade from using American weapons in 2014 due to the right-wing nationalist views of some of the regiment's founders. The unit has since become fully incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard and has come under new command.
Following the state department's announcement, Azov fighters will now have the same access to U.S. arms as other Ukrainian units.
Joseph O’Sullivan
