Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, During the Battle of Mariupol a regiment became famous: the Azov Regiment. But in the Kharkiv region, and further north, the Krakw battalion begins to gain prominence. The two factions have the same status: Kragan is not part of the regular Ukrainian army, but is affiliated with the Ministry of Defense.
“The Azov battalion was a model for us,” the Viking fighter aircraft, which uses a nickname, told BFMTV.
“This is one of the most experienced divisions in Ukraine, with the most courageous soldiers. The way they train troops, the use of modern combat tactics … for these reasons it is our role model,” he explains.
“We gave them a label”
The soldier refuses to comment on the far-right ideologies of the Azov regiment. Made up of more radical neo-Nazis and other radical nationalists. “Those who say so do not understand. I do not agree that defending your country is radical nationalism. They have been branded as having nothing to do with it,” Sweeps “Viking.”
However, Krakw is today led by the far-right candidate for the 2021 mayoral election in Kharkiv, a far-right figure, Konstantin Nemichev. The politician, a member of the National Corps and an extremist-nationalist far-right party, acknowledged the links between Krakw and Azov in early June.
Soldiers trained by the Azov Regiment
“Most of our fighters trained in the Azov Regiment between 2014 and 2016, which later became the Azov Regiment,” he told reporters.
“But Azo’s heart was in Mariupol. We’re here in Kharkiv. We have another unit. Its name is Cragan,” he added.
The new brigade will have 1,500 members and will recruit new soldiers daily. It was made up of thugs, metalists and local players from the city of Kharkiv Football Club.
The group is now a clear target for the Russian military, whose focus has been on capturing and expelling members of the Azov regiment. This Monday, the official Tass agency reported that the Russian military had killed six nationalists in the Kharkiv region.
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