Release of the Azovstal commanders: what we should and should not thank President Zelenskyy
Let’s figure out what we should and should not thank President Zelenskyy for regarding the release of the captive Azovstal commanders. Yuriy Butusov investigates.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief Zelenskyy did not give timely orders to deploy troops, call up the operational reserve, TRO troops, and order to blow up bridges, which allowed the Russian occupiers to advance at full speed in marching columns. On the second day of the war, the Russians seized Melitopol without a fight, on the third day they seized Berdyansk without a fight, on the fourth day they seized Tokmak, on the fifth day of the war Russian troops encircled Mariupol without a fight, and thereby the entire garrison of over 5,000 soldiers, the whole two brigades – the 12th National Guard including Azov and the 36th Marines of the AFU ended in a ‘cauldron’ and had to immediately fight in critical conditions. Should they be thanked for that? They should be brought to trial.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief Zelenskyy visited Mariupol several times and got the highway completed, but Zelenskyy did nothing at all to prepare Mariupol for defense. No buildings, no stocks of shells, no supplies, no positions, no engineering machines, no engineering mines, nothing at all.
Most of the Azov weapons had been under repair since 2019, and the regiment could not fight to the fullest. The authorities prepared Mariupol for surrender. Should they be thanked for that? They should be brought to trial.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief Zelenskyy appointed exposed FSB agents to the highest positions in the SBU – the head of the SBU Main Directorate for Crimea Kulinich and the head of the SBU Main Internal Security Directorate Naumov, appointed the Russian agent Demchenko, who had not warned about the attack, to the highest position in intelligence – the head of the Intelligence Committee under the President of Ukraine. Those Zelenskyy-appointed officials allowed the Russian army to pass through Chonhar quickly and without a fight and encircle Mariupol. Should they be thanked for that? They should be brought to trial.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief Zelenskyy promised personal assistance to the encircled Mariupol garrison, reserves, fire support, unblocking, all of which was not done. When the scanty supplies of ammunition completely ran out, the Mariupol garrison, which did more than was possible in the conditions of the Russians’ absolute superiority, surrendered by order of the Supreme Commander, under Zelenskyy’s guarantee that everyone would be released.
More than 2,000 defenders of Mariupol were taken prisoners, and about 500 of them were exchanged and released. About 1,500 Azov soldiers, marines, border guards, and other defenders are still in captivity. Should we thank for that?
I’m grateful to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Zelenskyy for caring about the return of prisoners, for transporting them, for noting Denys Prokopenko and other outstanding heroes of the legendary defense of Mariupol. Yes, thank you.
But thousands of Mariupol defenders and civilians died because of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s fault. And Zelenskyy is correcting some of the consequences of his terrible actions and inactions that made it possible for the Russians to encircle, kill and capture thousands of patriots. And over 1,500 defenders are still being held captive in terrible Russian prisons.
Zelenskyy and Yermak are now trying to show that they are Azov’s friends – although it was they who tried to weaken Azov all three years before the war, it was on their instructions that Azov was not allowed to go to the front, and was not given equipment and ammunition.
Because the authorities understand – now they cover themselves with positions, but the authorities are not eternal, and after the victory, a lot of Ukrainian heroes, a lot of friends and families of the dead will do everything to bring to justice the perpetrators of the quick surrender of the south and other regions of the country.
There will be a trial.
And at the trial in memory of all the dead, not soldiers and sergeants will have to answer, but those who appointed FSB agents to the highest positions, those who looked into the eyes of the enemy and put their hands into the defense budget, those who prepared the country for surrender. And the trial will have to sort out who to thank and who to hold responsible for tens of thousands of lost lives…
Yuriy Butusov, Ukraine’s patriot and editor-in-chief censor.net
P.S. To remined, Commander of the Azov special operations unit of the National Guard, Hero of Ukraine Denys Prokopenko, his deputy Sviatoslav Palamar, acting Commander of the 36th Marine Brigade Serhii Volynskyi, Senior Officer of the Azov unit Oleh Khomenko, and Commander of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard Denys Shleha have been released from the russian captivity on 21 September 2022 as part of a PoW swap with the russian occupiers among 215 Ukrainian defenders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s agreements with Russia stipulate that the five leaders of the Azov Regiment who were released as part of the prisoner exchange on 21 September will remain in Türkiye until the end of the war.
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I'm English and have been supporting Ukraine as much as possible, since Feb 22. I'm not an expert on Ukraine, nor do I know v ery much about military matters. So, i cannot pass comment on what this article says.
I do know how democracy works tho. Whilst it's important to call out our leaders; to challenge them and hold them to account, I question the the timing this article. Whatever mistakes Zelensky has or has not made, I would caution you not to undermine him when he is your single biggest asset on the international stage and is the single biggest reason Ukraine has received such significant military/financial/ moral support from the West. Please don't damage your biggest asset at this time.! There's too much at stake. There will be time for questions and investigations later.
Right now, one of your greatest weapons is unity. Please, please...stay united.