The "Azov" Battalion was created on May 5, 2014, in the city of Berdiansk as a special police patrol battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs based on a decision by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The battalion emerged from the Ukrainian partisan group "Black Corps," which voluntarily participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine, particularly in Kharkiv and the Sea of Azov region in 2014.
Photographers Vyacheslav Ratynskyi and Anatolii Stepanov documented the first training sessions of the "Azov" fighters, the ceremonial send-off of the first volunteers to the front, and the battles in the village of Shyrokyne, where the battalion held a prolonged defense.
The special police battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Azov" was created on May 5, 2014. Its predecessor was the formation "Black Corps," which participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas. The unit primarily consisted of representatives from the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. The battalion's participants were referred to as "the little black men," contrasting them with "the green men" — Russian soldiers in green uniforms without insignia who occupied the territory of Crimea.
The "Black Corps" formation was created by recently released political prisoner Andrii Biletsky during the night of February 28 to March 1, 2014. The core of the unit was composed of members of Biletsky's political party "Patriot of Ukraine," Kharkiv ultras, and active participants of the Euromaidan. That same night, the "Chornyi Korpus" stormed the "Oplot" club, the main headquarters of pro-Russian activists in Kharkiv. On March 1, 2014, Andrii Biletsky, along with the "Black Corps" formation, defended the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
On the night of March 15, 2014, the "Black Corps" unit engaged in combat with pro-Russian forces on Rymarska Street in Kharkiv. This marked the first armed confrontation in which the pro-Russian side suffered fatalities. As a result of the shooting, the separatists had at least two dead and five seriously wounded, while the Ukrainian side reported no losses. By morning, the fighters of the "Black Corps," after lengthy negotiations, laid down their arms and surrendered to the police. After several days of arrest and court proceedings in Poltava, the members of the "Black Corps" were released.
The "Black Corps" was re-staffed throughout March-April 2014 in Poltava region. Later, the headquarters of the unit moved to Kyiv. The training and mobilization center of the unit was established in the building of the old "Cossack" hotel, which activists had seized during the Revolution of Dignity. The groups of fighters recruited and trained here periodically conducted raids in the Kharkiv region. During this time, the unit adopted black uniforms—purchased attire for the guards. The unit earned the nickname "black men."
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On May 1, 2014, the last raid of the "Black Corps" took place in Kharkiv. As a result, the mass demonstration announced by pro-Russian forces, which aimed to seize power in Kharkiv, did not occur.
From May 5 to 7, 2014, the "Black Corps" conducted a raid in the city of Mariupol. The "Black Corps" successfully repelled an attempt to capture the city police department, eliminated an ambush at the city's entrance, and captured the first Minister of Defense of the "DPR," Ihor Hakimzyanov, along with around 30 other militants. During the raid, the "Black Corps" was legitimized, and the special police battalion "Azov" was formed based on it.
On September 17, 2014, by the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the "Azov" battalion was reorganized and expanded into the special police regiment "Azov" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the elections for the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Biletsky won in the 217th district of Kyiv and became a Member of Parliament.
On November 11, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine signed an order to transfer the "Azov" regiment to the National Guard of Ukraine, with plans for its further enhancement to meet the combat standards of National Guard brigades. Today, the "Azov" unit is a separate special forces unit of the 3057th military unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. In February 2023, the separate special forces unit "Azov" became the 12th special forces brigade "Azov" of the National Guard of Ukraine.
As part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the "Azov" unit participated in military operations in the territory of the Anti-Terrorist Operation, the Joint Forces Operation, and across Ukraine.
At the beginning of May 2014, the "Azov" battalion had 150 fighters and participated in the liberation of Mariupol. In August, the battalion was in Ilovaisk, where Ukrainian troops were encircled. On August 20, "Azov" commander Andriy Biletsky ordered the battalion to withdraw from encirclement after losing seven fighters. After exiting Ilovaisk, "Azov" held the defense near Mariupol. The fighters managed to destroy a militant tank, as well as an artillery system and enemy mortars.
Since early February 2015, the "Azov" regiment, along with the "Donbas" battalion and the 37th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, participated in an offensive operation that resulted in establishing control over several settlements: Pavlopil, Berdyanske, Shyrokyne, and Lebedynske.
Fighting in the village of Shyrokyne practically leveled the settlement to the ground. On July 1, the militants announced that they would declare Shyrokyne a demilitarized zone as a "gesture of goodwill." The Azov unit was also withdrawn from the front line, with marines taking their place.
Ukrainian photographer Vyacheslav Ratynskyi photographed the farewells of volunteers from the future Azov regiment to the front during 2014-2015. Initially, they were sent off from the courtyard of the Kozatsky Hotel.
At that time, there were several dozen fighters. However, by the beginning of summer 2014, around a hundred fighters had gathered in Sofia Square in Kyiv. "The guys were brought in by several buses; the event was announced, and there were many journalists and photographers in the square," recalls Vyacheslav Ratynskyi. "Sofia Square is a very symbolic place. It's reminiscent of a hundred years ago in old photo and video archives with Petliura, Hrushevsky, and the Sich Riflemen." Ratynskyi adds that the send-off was very solemn: the boys were in uniforms and balaclavas, marching, stopping in the square to read the "Prayer of the Ukrainian Nationalist." Their relatives and girlfriends came to see them off. After the Revolution of Dignity, there was significant attention from the foreign press towards Ukraine, so many foreign photographers captured the send-off of the fighters.
"The time and location of the fighters' training sessions were also announced to the press, as the military was interested in sharing their stories. I loved photographing the training sessions of 'Azov'; it was always vibrant and dynamic. The topic of the military, especially volunteers, was popular, and I found it fascinating," explains Vyacheslav Ratynskyi. At that time, it was difficult to negotiate access to the regular army, although open training sessions were occasionally held at training grounds, while volunteer formations were open to communication. "It was easy to arrange shoots with volunteer battalions, and it was easy to work with them," says the photographer.
"During training, the fighters had their faces uncovered. Vyacheslav Ratynskyi mentions that he photographed the training sessions at the end of 2014 and in the summer of 2015. 'Now I have a sense of déjà vu, because in the same place I am shooting new young volunteers, but still from the same old war. I'm curious about where those guys from the 2014–2015 photos are, if they are all alive and healthy. Probably not all, as I find guys in those photos with amputations.'"
Ukrainian photographer Anatoliy Stepanov captured the fighters of "Azov" in positions in the village of Shyrokyne, located east of Mariupol. The village was one of the strategic points on the path of a potential advance toward Mariupol, so by the end of summer 2014, Ukrainian military forces began constructing fortifications on the western outskirts of Shyrokyne. The forward positions of Russian troops were located within two kilometers of the village. Shyrokyne was not fully controlled by either Ukrainian forces or separatists.
In early September, armed formations of the so-called "DPR" struck Ukrainian positions with artillery and, supported by tanks, launched an offensive. The attack was repelled, but Ukrainian units suffered casualties and withdrew from their positions. On September 5, Azov fighters returned to the front lines and repelled a new assault. That same day, the first Minsk Agreement was signed, which was supposed to initiate a ceasefire. The village of Shyrokyne fell within a 30-kilometer security zone, where heavy weaponry was to be withdrawn and granted neutral status. However, until February 2015, groups of "DPR" militants were based in the village, and their armored vehicles entered the area.
On January 24, 2015, the head of the so-called "DPR," Oleksandr Zakharchenko, announced the start of an offensive on Mariupol. On February 10, the "Shyrokyne Operation" commenced, aiming to divert separatist forces from Debaltseve and secure Mariupol from shelling. By the end of the day, Ukrainian fighters, including those from Azov, fully controlled Shyrokyne, although intense fighting continued on both sides.
The second company of the Azov regiment conducted a sweep of Shyrokyne. During further battles, Azov fighters secured their positions in Shyrokyne and Lebedynske. On February 11, heavy fighting occurred along the Shyrokyne-Sakhanivka route, and by February 13, "DPR" forces launched a counteroffensive on Shyrokyne. The following day, they utilized tanks and artillery, but Ukrainian forces successfully eliminated the enemy. On February 15, in accordance with the terms agreed upon during negotiations in Minsk on February 12, the active phase of the Shyrokyne operation was halted. Although Shyrokyne came under full control of Ukrainian forces, hostilities continued in its vicinity in the following years.
Anatolii Stepanov visited several times to photograph the "Azov" fighters near Shyrokyne. "The first time, I simply made arrangements with 'Azov' and went to their base in the eastern part of Mariupol. The guys put me and my colleagues in a pickup, and we went to work," recalls Anatolii Stepanov. "The second time, I coordinated with the commander and visited the fighters in a village near Shyrokyne."
Anatolii Stepanov photographed "Azov" fighters on the grounds of a resort in Shyrokyne. Its multi-story buildings were right next to the sea. The structures were heavily damaged by artillery, and the military positions were set up in gun slits carved into the walls. "From there, you could already see the other part of Shyrokyne, occupied by separatists. To get there, you had to take a road that was under sniper fire. That’s what the soldiers told me," says Anatolii Stepanov. "I have a photo of a soldier walking back to the base along that road."
Anatolii Stepanov spent several days in a bombed-out kindergarten, destroyed by separatists, along with a commander known by the call sign Donbas. The soldiers used the kindergarten to sleep and would leave from there for duty. "Azov" fighters were also there — in the evenings, they played football and relaxed. "When I was returning from a shoot, they started hitting us with AGS grenade launchers: we drove off, and a shell landed on the road just 50 meters from us," recalls Anatolii Stepanov.
Vyacheslav Ratynskyi is a Ukrainian reporter and documentary photographer. He was born in Zhytomyr and has lived and worked in Kyiv for the past 11 years. He is a graduate of the Journalism Faculty at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. His work has been published in many Ukrainian outlets (such as Reporters, Hromadske, NV, Focus, Forbes, The Kyiv Independent, and others), as well as in several international publications, including Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, El Pais, Radio Free Europe, BBC, Reuters, and Der Spiegel. He has participated in numerous exhibitions in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and other countries. His photos have also been published in several books.
Social networks of the photographer:
Facebook
Instagram
Anatolii Stepanov is a Ukrainian photojournalist who has been documenting the war in Ukraine since 2014. In 2004, he completed a course at Viktor Marushchenko's photo school. Since then, he has worked in professional photography as both a freelancer and a staff photographer. He collaborates with agencies such as AP, Reuters, AFP, EPA, and Sipa, and has had his work published in magazines such as National Geographic, Spiegel, Stern, Time, and others.
He photographed the Euromaidan protests. On December 1, 2013, during the assault on Bankova Street, Berkut officers beat Anatolii, leaving him with a head injury, a broken arm, and destroyed equipment.
In 2014, he began photographing the war in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He is the author of the photo project "Independent" (Chicago, USA) and one of the cameramen for the film "My War. The Two Lives of Vasyl Slipak" (2017). He has participated in both group and solo photo exhibitions in Ukraine, Germany, France, and the U.S.
Social networks of the photographer:
Instagram
Facebook
We worked on the material:
Researcher on the topic, author of the text: Katya Moskaliuk
Photo editor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yulia Futei
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
The "Azov" Battalion was created on May 5, 2014, in the city of Berdiansk as a special police patrol battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs based on a decision by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The battalion emerged from the Ukrainian partisan group "Black Corps," which voluntarily participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine, particularly in Kharkiv and the Sea of Azov region in 2014.
Photographers Vyacheslav Ratynskyi and Anatolii Stepanov documented the first training sessions of the "Azov" fighters, the ceremonial send-off of the first volunteers to the front, and the battles in the village of Shyrokyne, where the battalion held a prolonged defense.
The special police battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Azov" was created on May 5, 2014. Its predecessor was the formation "Black Corps," which participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas. The unit primarily consisted of representatives from the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. The battalion's participants were referred to as "the little black men," contrasting them with "the green men" — Russian soldiers in green uniforms without insignia who occupied the territory of Crimea.
The "Black Corps" formation was created by recently released political prisoner Andrii Biletsky during the night of February 28 to March 1, 2014. The core of the unit was composed of members of Biletsky's political party "Patriot of Ukraine," Kharkiv ultras, and active participants of the Euromaidan. That same night, the "Chornyi Korpus" stormed the "Oplot" club, the main headquarters of pro-Russian activists in Kharkiv. On March 1, 2014, Andrii Biletsky, along with the "Black Corps" formation, defended the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
On the night of March 15, 2014, the "Black Corps" unit engaged in combat with pro-Russian forces on Rymarska Street in Kharkiv. This marked the first armed confrontation in which the pro-Russian side suffered fatalities. As a result of the shooting, the separatists had at least two dead and five seriously wounded, while the Ukrainian side reported no losses. By morning, the fighters of the "Black Corps," after lengthy negotiations, laid down their arms and surrendered to the police. After several days of arrest and court proceedings in Poltava, the members of the "Black Corps" were released.
The "Black Corps" was re-staffed throughout March-April 2014 in Poltava region. Later, the headquarters of the unit moved to Kyiv. The training and mobilization center of the unit was established in the building of the old "Cossack" hotel, which activists had seized during the Revolution of Dignity. The groups of fighters recruited and trained here periodically conducted raids in the Kharkiv region. During this time, the unit adopted black uniforms—purchased attire for the guards. The unit earned the nickname "black men."
On May 1, 2014, the last raid of the "Black Corps" took place in Kharkiv. As a result, the mass demonstration announced by pro-Russian forces, which aimed to seize power in Kharkiv, did not occur.
From May 5 to 7, 2014, the "Black Corps" conducted a raid in the city of Mariupol. The "Black Corps" successfully repelled an attempt to capture the city police department, eliminated an ambush at the city's entrance, and captured the first Minister of Defense of the "DPR," Ihor Hakimzyanov, along with around 30 other militants. During the raid, the "Black Corps" was legitimized, and the special police battalion "Azov" was formed based on it.
On September 17, 2014, by the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the "Azov" battalion was reorganized and expanded into the special police regiment "Azov" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the elections for the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Biletsky won in the 217th district of Kyiv and became a Member of Parliament.
On November 11, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine signed an order to transfer the "Azov" regiment to the National Guard of Ukraine, with plans for its further enhancement to meet the combat standards of National Guard brigades. Today, the "Azov" unit is a separate special forces unit of the 3057th military unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. In February 2023, the separate special forces unit "Azov" became the 12th special forces brigade "Azov" of the National Guard of Ukraine.
As part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the "Azov" unit participated in military operations in the territory of the Anti-Terrorist Operation, the Joint Forces Operation, and across Ukraine.
At the beginning of May 2014, the "Azov" battalion had 150 fighters and participated in the liberation of Mariupol. In August, the battalion was in Ilovaisk, where Ukrainian troops were encircled. On August 20, "Azov" commander Andriy Biletsky ordered the battalion to withdraw from encirclement after losing seven fighters. After exiting Ilovaisk, "Azov" held the defense near Mariupol. The fighters managed to destroy a militant tank, as well as an artillery system and enemy mortars.
Since early February 2015, the "Azov" regiment, along with the "Donbas" battalion and the 37th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, participated in an offensive operation that resulted in establishing control over several settlements: Pavlopil, Berdyanske, Shyrokyne, and Lebedynske.
Fighting in the village of Shyrokyne practically leveled the settlement to the ground. On July 1, the militants announced that they would declare Shyrokyne a demilitarized zone as a "gesture of goodwill." The Azov unit was also withdrawn from the front line, with marines taking their place.
Ukrainian photographer Vyacheslav Ratynskyi photographed the farewells of volunteers from the future Azov regiment to the front during 2014-2015. Initially, they were sent off from the courtyard of the Kozatsky Hotel.
At that time, there were several dozen fighters. However, by the beginning of summer 2014, around a hundred fighters had gathered in Sofia Square in Kyiv. "The guys were brought in by several buses; the event was announced, and there were many journalists and photographers in the square," recalls Vyacheslav Ratynskyi. "Sofia Square is a very symbolic place. It's reminiscent of a hundred years ago in old photo and video archives with Petliura, Hrushevsky, and the Sich Riflemen." Ratynskyi adds that the send-off was very solemn: the boys were in uniforms and balaclavas, marching, stopping in the square to read the "Prayer of the Ukrainian Nationalist." Their relatives and girlfriends came to see them off. After the Revolution of Dignity, there was significant attention from the foreign press towards Ukraine, so many foreign photographers captured the send-off of the fighters.
"The time and location of the fighters' training sessions were also announced to the press, as the military was interested in sharing their stories. I loved photographing the training sessions of 'Azov'; it was always vibrant and dynamic. The topic of the military, especially volunteers, was popular, and I found it fascinating," explains Vyacheslav Ratynskyi. At that time, it was difficult to negotiate access to the regular army, although open training sessions were occasionally held at training grounds, while volunteer formations were open to communication. "It was easy to arrange shoots with volunteer battalions, and it was easy to work with them," says the photographer.
"During training, the fighters had their faces uncovered. Vyacheslav Ratynskyi mentions that he photographed the training sessions at the end of 2014 and in the summer of 2015. 'Now I have a sense of déjà vu, because in the same place I am shooting new young volunteers, but still from the same old war. I'm curious about where those guys from the 2014–2015 photos are, if they are all alive and healthy. Probably not all, as I find guys in those photos with amputations.'"
Ukrainian photographer Anatoliy Stepanov captured the fighters of "Azov" in positions in the village of Shyrokyne, located east of Mariupol. The village was one of the strategic points on the path of a potential advance toward Mariupol, so by the end of summer 2014, Ukrainian military forces began constructing fortifications on the western outskirts of Shyrokyne. The forward positions of Russian troops were located within two kilometers of the village. Shyrokyne was not fully controlled by either Ukrainian forces or separatists.
In early September, armed formations of the so-called "DPR" struck Ukrainian positions with artillery and, supported by tanks, launched an offensive. The attack was repelled, but Ukrainian units suffered casualties and withdrew from their positions. On September 5, Azov fighters returned to the front lines and repelled a new assault. That same day, the first Minsk Agreement was signed, which was supposed to initiate a ceasefire. The village of Shyrokyne fell within a 30-kilometer security zone, where heavy weaponry was to be withdrawn and granted neutral status. However, until February 2015, groups of "DPR" militants were based in the village, and their armored vehicles entered the area.
On January 24, 2015, the head of the so-called "DPR," Oleksandr Zakharchenko, announced the start of an offensive on Mariupol. On February 10, the "Shyrokyne Operation" commenced, aiming to divert separatist forces from Debaltseve and secure Mariupol from shelling. By the end of the day, Ukrainian fighters, including those from Azov, fully controlled Shyrokyne, although intense fighting continued on both sides.
The second company of the Azov regiment conducted a sweep of Shyrokyne. During further battles, Azov fighters secured their positions in Shyrokyne and Lebedynske. On February 11, heavy fighting occurred along the Shyrokyne-Sakhanivka route, and by February 13, "DPR" forces launched a counteroffensive on Shyrokyne. The following day, they utilized tanks and artillery, but Ukrainian forces successfully eliminated the enemy. On February 15, in accordance with the terms agreed upon during negotiations in Minsk on February 12, the active phase of the Shyrokyne operation was halted. Although Shyrokyne came under full control of Ukrainian forces, hostilities continued in its vicinity in the following years.
Anatolii Stepanov visited several times to photograph the "Azov" fighters near Shyrokyne. "The first time, I simply made arrangements with 'Azov' and went to their base in the eastern part of Mariupol. The guys put me and my colleagues in a pickup, and we went to work," recalls Anatolii Stepanov. "The second time, I coordinated with the commander and visited the fighters in a village near Shyrokyne."
Anatolii Stepanov photographed "Azov" fighters on the grounds of a resort in Shyrokyne. Its multi-story buildings were right next to the sea. The structures were heavily damaged by artillery, and the military positions were set up in gun slits carved into the walls. "From there, you could already see the other part of Shyrokyne, occupied by separatists. To get there, you had to take a road that was under sniper fire. That’s what the soldiers told me," says Anatolii Stepanov. "I have a photo of a soldier walking back to the base along that road."
Anatolii Stepanov spent several days in a bombed-out kindergarten, destroyed by separatists, along with a commander known by the call sign Donbas. The soldiers used the kindergarten to sleep and would leave from there for duty. "Azov" fighters were also there — in the evenings, they played football and relaxed. "When I was returning from a shoot, they started hitting us with AGS grenade launchers: we drove off, and a shell landed on the road just 50 meters from us," recalls Anatolii Stepanov.
Vyacheslav Ratynskyi is a Ukrainian reporter and documentary photographer. He was born in Zhytomyr and has lived and worked in Kyiv for the past 11 years. He is a graduate of the Journalism Faculty at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. His work has been published in many Ukrainian outlets (such as Reporters, Hromadske, NV, Focus, Forbes, The Kyiv Independent, and others), as well as in several international publications, including Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, El Pais, Radio Free Europe, BBC, Reuters, and Der Spiegel. He has participated in numerous exhibitions in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and other countries. His photos have also been published in several books.
Social networks of the photographer:
Facebook
Instagram
Anatolii Stepanov is a Ukrainian photojournalist who has been documenting the war in Ukraine since 2014. In 2004, he completed a course at Viktor Marushchenko's photo school. Since then, he has worked in professional photography as both a freelancer and a staff photographer. He collaborates with agencies such as AP, Reuters, AFP, EPA, and Sipa, and has had his work published in magazines such as National Geographic, Spiegel, Stern, Time, and others.
He photographed the Euromaidan protests. On December 1, 2013, during the assault on Bankova Street, Berkut officers beat Anatolii, leaving him with a head injury, a broken arm, and destroyed equipment.
In 2014, he began photographing the war in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He is the author of the photo project "Independent" (Chicago, USA) and one of the cameramen for the film "My War. The Two Lives of Vasyl Slipak" (2017). He has participated in both group and solo photo exhibitions in Ukraine, Germany, France, and the U.S.
Social networks of the photographer:
Instagram
Facebook
We worked on the material:
Researcher on the topic, author of the text: Katya Moskaliuk
Photo editor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yulia Futei
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
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