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The Azov Battalion ((ウクライナ語:Батальйон Азов)) is an all-volunteer infantry military unit forming part of military reserve of National Guard of Ukraine. The unit is based in Mariupol in the Azov Sea coastal region. It saw its first combat experience recapturing Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists forces in June 2014.〔 Initially a volunteer militia, formed as the Azov Battalion on 5 May 2014 during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, Azov has since been incorporated into and is armed by Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs.〔 All members of the unit are under contract of National Guard of Ukraine. More than half of the Battalion members are from eastern Ukraine and speak Russian,〔(【引用サイトリンク】 Driven by far-right ideology, Azov Battalion mans Ukraine's front line )〕 and many of its recruits come from the eastern cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. The regiment's commander is Andriy Biletsky. In its early days, Azov was the Ministry of Internal Affairs' special police company, led by Volodymyr Shpara, the leader of the Vasylkiv, Kiev, branch of Patriot of Ukraine and Right Sector.〔 Павєл Шеремет. (Командир батальйону "Азов": Найстрашніша помилка влади - політичні переговори з сепаратистами ), ''Українська правда (Ukrainian pravda)'', June 17, 2014.〕〔 (Володимир Шпара очолив «Правий сектор» в місті Васильків та Васильківському районі ), The Right Sector press-service, March 26, 2014.〕〔 (Командир батальона "Азов" Владимир Шпара: "Мы ришли не за властью, а защищать свою Родину" ), June 12, 2014.〕 Patrons of the battalion included Oleh Lyashko, a member of the Verkhovna Rada,〔 and billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskyi. == History == On 13 April 2014, Arsen Avakov, the new Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine after the overthrow of the Yanukovich government, issued on a decree authorizing creating the new paramilitary force from civilians up to 12,000.〔 (Для урегулирования ситуация на Юго-Востоке МВД создает спецподразделения по охране общественного порядка ), ''Arena.in.ua'', 15 April 2014.〕 Avakov's deputy adviser Anton Heraschenko was tasked with overseeing the process of establishing the new security force created from civilian volunteers.〔Anna Nemtsova. (War and Murder in Eastern Ukraine ), ''The Daily Beast'', 27 May 2014.〕 The Azov Battalion was formed on 5 May 2014 during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. Among the patrons of the battalion are a member of the Verkhovna Rada Oleh Lyashko, and an ultra-nationalist Dmytro Korchynsky.〔 The battalion started in Mariupol where it was involved in combat,〔 and was briefly relocated to Berdyansk.〔(Azov Battalion announced signing of new warriors ), ''TSN News'', May 20, 2014.〕 The regiment's commander is Andriy Biletsky. Biletsky stayed out of the public spotlight working on expanding Azov to battalion size. In summer 2014, he took the command of the unit in his own hands; Shpara remained in the battalion as the commander of the 1st Company. Biletsky is also the head of two neo-Nazi political groups, the Patriot of Ukraine and Social-National Assembly.〔Andreas Umland and Anton Shekhovtsov. (Ukraine's Radical Right ). Journal of Democracy25/3〕 In August 2014, he was awarded a military decoration, "Order For Courage", by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, and promoted to lieutenant colonel of in the Interior Ministry's police forces. On 10 June, the battalion dismissed deputy commander Yaroslav Honchar and distanced themselves from him after Honchar made criticizing statements about looting and debauchery in Azov battalion. On 11 August, Azov battalion, backed by the Ukrainian paratroopers, captured Marinka from pro-Russian rebels and entered the suburbs of Donetsk clashing with Donetsk People's Republic fighters.〔 In early September 2014, the Azov battalion was engaged in the Second Battle of Mariupol. Regarding the ceasefire agreed on 5 September, Biletskiy stated "If it was a tactical move there is nothing wrong with it ... if it's an attempt to reach an agreement concerning Ukrainian soil with separatists then obviously it's a betrayal." In September 2014 the Azov battalion was enrolled into the National Guard of Ukraine as a "special police battalion"; many supporting websites were either shut down, or access to the sites was restricted. On 14 October, Azov Battalion servicemen took part in a march to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in Kyiv organised by Right Sector.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Right Sector, Azov Battalion march to commemorate the Ukrainian Insurgent Army )〕 In the 26 October 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Biletsky, the battalion's commander, won a constituency seat (as an independent candidate) in Kiev's Obolon Raion (Biletsky hails from Kharkiv) in the Ukrainian parliament.〔(Ukraine Government Heralds Election, But Not All Voters Feel Inspired ), wsj.com (Oct. 24, 2014)〕〔(Ukraine has ignored the far right for too long – it must wake up to the danger ), theguardian.com (13 November 2014)〕 In his constituency Biletsky won with 33.75% of the votes; runner up Vadym Stoylar followed with 17.17%. In parliament Biletsky did not join any faction.〔 (profile ), on the official website of the Ukrainian parliament〕 Member of the battalion Oleh Petrenko is also a MP for Petro Poroshenko Bloc after winning a constituency seat in Cherkasy in the same election.〔 (Full list of newly elected People's Deputies ), Televiziyna Sluzhba Novyn (12 November 2014)〕 In his constituency Petrenko won with 41.15% of the votes; runner up Valentyna Zhukovska followed with 23.65%.〔 On 31 October 2014, deputy commander of the Azov Battalion Vadym Troyan was appointed head of Kiev Oblast (province) police (this police force has no jurisdiction over the city of Kiev). In January 2015, the Azov Battalion was promised a tank company and artillery units to reinforce its ranks.〔 In 2015, "Azov" Battalion was updated to Regiment status and renamed "Special Operations Regiment". Total strength is above 1000 officers and men (June 2015). A tank company (with T-64 and T-72 tanks) was also formed. "Azov" Regiment has then focused its capabilities on light infantry duties, such as reconnaissance, special patrols and tactical interdiction. As of late March 2015, despite a second ceasefire agreement (Minsk II), the Azov Battalion has continued to prepare for war, with the group's leader seeing the ceasefire as "appeasement".〔 In March 2015 Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced that the Azov Regiment would be among the first units to be trained by United States Army troops in their Operation Fearless Guardian training mission.〔 On 12 June 2015, the US House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Defense Appropriations Act blocking any aid (including arms and training) to the battalion due to its Neo-Nazi background. After the vote Congressman John Conyers thanked the House saying "I am grateful that the House of Representatives unanimously passed my amendments last night to ensure that our military does not train members of the repulsive neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, along with my measures to keep the dangerous and easily trafficked MANPADs out of these unstable regions." In August 2015, the Ukrainian government pulled all volunteer battalions, including the Azov Regiment, off the front lines around Mariupol, replacing them with regular military units.〔Nolan Peterson. (), ''Newsweek'', 29 August 2015.〕 The Azov Regiment was moved to a base in Urzuf, in the former seaside villa of deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the southwest of Mariupol. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Azov Battalion」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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