The Azov POWs: Moscow’s bargaining chip against Kyiv • FRANCE 24 English

The Azov brigade are held in high regard across Ukraine: first for the 2014 recapturing of Mariupol, and then again in 2022 when they gained country-wide recognition fighting for Mariupol’s steelworks, Azovstal. Most of the Azov fighters captured around the siege are still in captivity, as their totemic status in Ukraine has turned them into a political tool for Russia, which accuses them of “neo-Nazism“. “They are our defenders,“ says Kristina Iniieu at a demonstration in the Ukrainian capital. “They have done a lot and are still doing a lot. It is a sin to forget about it.“ #Azov #Mariupol #Ukraine 🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: 🔴 LIVE - Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: 🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: Like us on Facebook: Follow us on X (Twitter): Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: Discover our TikTok videos: Get the latest top stories on Telegram: