The US State Department confirms the lifting of the ban on the use of weapons for the Azov regiment

The United States has confirmed the information about lifting the ban on the transfer of American weapons to the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard, a representative of the US State Department said on June 12 in Voice of America.

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After conducting an inspection, the State Department found no evidence of human rights violations committed by the Azov Brigade.

Additionally, the State Department said Russian disinformation was actively contributing to compromising the Azov Brigade.

“For a long time, the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard was equated with the Azov Battalion, a militant group formed to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion in 2014,” the statement said.

In 2015, this battalion was disbanded and the composition of the Azov Special Forces Brigade was significantly changed.

Ban on the use of American weapons by the Azov Special Forces Brigade

Since 2017, Azov fighters have been unable to use weapons or other aid under U.S. military aid programs or participate in U.S.-organized exercises because the United States has imposed restrictions on Azov under the Leahy Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

Read also: From the archives: The Azov regiment has been described as neo-Nazi. Really ?

On April 19, Azov commander Denys Prokopenko called on the United States to lift the ban on Azov weapons. He stressed that this was a serious blow to Ukraine's defense capabilities.

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On June 11, the Washington Post reported, citing the US State Department, that the United States had lifted the ban on the use of American weapons by Azov fighters. Later, Azov officially confirmed that after an inspection, they had been authorized to use American military aid.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine