The Azov regiment represented Vladimir Putin's ideal enemy.
Recruited from the ranks of Ukraine's far-right, this elite National Guard unit was the very symbol of those
"Nazis"
that its invasion of Ukraine was supposed to eradicate.
Two and a half months later, the fierce defense of these fighters in the ruins of Mariupol has made Azov the symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
To discover
LIVE - War in Ukraine: the Russians want to "increase the pressure in the Donbass", warns Zelensky
Follow information on the war in Ukraine with the Figaro application
Read also
Are there really “Nazis” in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin claims?
The outcome of this unequal struggle is now beyond doubt.
Entrenched in the maze of the immense Azovstal steelworks, an industrial complex as vast as a district of Paris, the besieged have launched video appeals in recent days demanding the evacuation of civilians who have taken refuge with them and their wounded.
Mariupol fell, but their long resistance no doubt deprived the Russian army of several of its combat units, held in Mariupol for crucial weeks.
And above all, the symbolic victory was won by the defenders.
The Azov regiment claims to have…
This article is for subscribers only.
You have 88% left to discover.
Freedom has no borders, like your curiosity.
Keep reading your article for 1€ the first month
I ENJOY IT
Already subscribed?
Login