Azov Regiment Forces Train In Kharkiv Region

KHARKIV REGION, UKRAINE - JUNE 28: Azov Regiment soldiers walk through a field for tactical training on June 28, 2022 in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine.The Azov Regiment was founded as a paramilitary group in 2014 to fight pro-Russian forces in the Donbas War, and was later incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard as Special Operations Detachment "Azov." The group, which takes its name from the Sea of Azov, has drawn controversy due to its far-right roots, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has tried to exploit to portray his war as a fight against "Nazis." Azov battalion members were among those forced to surrender to Russia at Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant last month, after holding out amid months of intense bombardment, during which time they were celebrated as heroes by their compatriots and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)