The United States has removed restrictions on the transfer of American weapons and training to the controversial Ukrainian military unit the Azov Brigade, the State Department said. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv confirmed the news to RFE/RL as as well. The move will help the unit, one of Ukraine's most effective and popular fighting groups, move beyond its reputation as a far-right movement that has been a constant target of Russian propaganda. The State Department said the Leahy vetting process was applied to the Azov Brigade, which has been taken into Ukraine's National Guard as the 12th Special Forces Brigade. The brigade said in a social media post that "the acquisition of Western weapons will increase the combat capability of 'Azov.'" To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
U.S. Lifts Weapons Ban On High-Profile Ukrainian Military Unit With A Controversial Past
A soldier of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine prepares to fire at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. (file photo)