By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Supreme Court of Russia on Tuesday declared Ukraine’s Azov Regiment a terrorist organisation banned in Russia.
This move is likely to expose Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Moscow to terrorism charges.
Azov played a key part in the defence of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
The Russian authorities and media organisations have repeatedly portrayed it a Nazi formation allegedly committing atrocities against Ukraine’s civilians.
This allegation has however not been backed with evidence.
The Azov Regiment is a unit within Ukraine’s National Guard that grew out of a group called the Azov Battalion, formed in 2014 as one of many volunteer brigades that rose to bolster Ukraine’s underfunded military.
The Azov Battalion drew its initial fighters from far-right circles and elicited criticism for some of its tactics.
Its current members rejected accusations of nationalism and radicalism.
Russia’s Prosecutor General’s office filed a motion to designate the regiment as a terrorist organization in May.
Scores of Azov fighters are being held captive by Moscow. The Russian authorities have opened multiple criminal cases against them, accusing them of killing civilians.
Last week, dozens of Ukrainian POWs were killed in an explosion at a barracks at a penal colony in Olenivka, an eastern town controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
Moscow and Kyiv have have traded blame for the strike, with Kyiv saying Russia blew up the barracks to cover up torture against the POWs.
