Ambassador of Ukraine on the speech of the Azov Battalion fighter in the Greek Parliament

The Embassy of Ukraine in Greece commented reaction to the video shown in the Greek Parliament, where, after the speech of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, a fighter of the Azov Battalion spoke.

In his Facebook post The Ukrainian embassy spoke about Russian propaganda about the Azov Battalion and that Moscow “tried to ‘impress’ the Greeks with the myth that it was an independent paramilitary unit operating in Mariupol without discipline or subordination.

Commentary by the Ambassador of Ukraine Serhiy Shutenko regarding the video with a fighter of the Azov Battalion, shown during the address of the President of Ukraine to the Parliament of the Hellenic Republic:

For more than 8 years, and especially since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and our armed forces have courageously defended the civilian population on our soil, as well as freedom and democracy in Europe.

The Russian propaganda machine targets the minds of free people. It not only blurs reality by distorting the facts, but also creates a terrible atmosphere of hatred and fear. Today, Russian officials and propagandists deny the very fact of aggression and military invasion of our country, continue to brazenly lie and mask their war crimes and crimes against humanity, which the world witnessed in Bucha.

To divert the attention of the West from the huge humanitarian catastrophe caused by the invasion, especially in Mariupol, Russia uses a wide range of disinformation methods and myths. For years, Russia has been trying to plant the myth in the minds of the Greeks that the Azov Regiment is an independent paramilitary unit operating in Mariupol without discipline or subordination.

We have repeatedly stated that in reality the volunteer military unit of the Azov Regiment was formed in 2014 as a response to Russia’s attempt to destroy the stability of the Donetsk region and its cities. It played an important role in the recapture of the city of Mariupol back in 2014, was completely reformed and included in the National Guard of Ukraine under the strict command and subordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Since then, the city of Mariupol has experienced peaceful and prosperous times all these years.

Since the Russian invasion, the Azov Regiment has played a key role in protecting civilians in one of the toughest battles for Mariupol, which, thanks to its efforts, remains Ukrainian.

The video, which depicts ordinary citizens of Ukraine of Greek origin, two soldiers of the National Guard of Ukraine, one of whom is from the Azov regiment, demonstrates an unbending will to defend their homeland and the civilian population of Mariupol, and has nothing to do with the Nazi deeds that the Russians committed on our land and against our people.

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