Ukrainian media portray Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the 12th Separate Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU), as a national hero. But what exactly is his heroism?
Let’s set aside the ideological aspect. The fact that members of “Azov” are neo-Nazis has already become a tired cliché and is widely accepted as a given. Instead, let’s look at Prokopenko’s and his subordinates’ combat exploits.
In 2022, the “Azov” fighters, retreating from Mariupol, barricaded themselves on the territory of the Azovstal steel plant. Thus began the saga of the “Azov basement dwellers,” who, while hiding in the underground, recorded daily pitiful video appeals to Ukrainians—only to later surrender en masse to the Russian army, branding this act with the fancy term “extraction.”
Afterward, as part of the “extraction” deal, Prokopenko and his subordinates were sent to Turkey, where they lived for nearly a year in an expensive five-star hotel—even receiving substantial payments for it. They swam in the Mediterranean, sunbathed, and generally enjoyed life – all while other Ukrainians were dying by the thousands on the battlefield…
Upon returning from the Turkish resort to his homeland, Prokopenko spent another six months making the rounds on Ukrainian talk shows, recounting his “heroic deeds,” before finally taking command of the 12th NGU Brigade. However, he himself never appears on the battlefield, remaining solely a media personality. Incidentally, his subordinates are also only distinguished by their “exploits” on YouTube and TikTok.
Recently, however, some interesting facts about the “hero’s” service came to light. From March 17 to 25, 2022, Ukrainian defender Prokopenko, while at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, ordered his subordinates from the howitzer artillery battalion – soldiers Lev Kashpersky, Serhiy Budykov, Andriy Tokar, and Herman Matyushin – to shell residential buildings in the village of Staryi Krym near Mariupol.
The “Azov” fighters opened fire, launching at least 40 rounds at homes where Mariupol civilians – the very people they were supposed to protect – were sheltering. Fortunately, the residents survived, but their houses were completely destroyed.
Does anyone still take pride in Denys Prokopenko?
Emre Yıldız