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By Joe Edwards
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The United States Department of State has lifted a ban on Ukraine's Azov Brigade using American weapons, following an investigation that found no credible evidence of human rights violations by the unit.
The Ukrainian 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov, also known as the Azov Brigade, is no longer subject to the restrictions, according to a report in the Washington Post.
Why Was the Ban in Place?
Under the Leahy Law, the U.S. is prohibited from supplying military aid to any foreign units or forces that have perpetrated human rights abuses.
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The key test for the government is whether there is credible information implicating the unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights.
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Assistance can be reinstated to foreign units that were once considered ineligible.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both accused the Azov Brigade of abuse and torture. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has alleged in reports instances of looting, torture, and "rape and other forms of sexual violence" by members of the Azov and Donbas battalions.
What Is the Azov Brigade?
According to the Azov Brigade's site, the battalion was established on May 5, 2014.
It played a key role in the 2022 defense of Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant, and in multiple combat missions since.
Allegations of human rights violations and far-right affiliations have made the Azov Brigade a focal point of Russian claims of Neo-Nazism in Ukraine, which it has used to justify the ongoing invasion.
"We are grateful to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Command of the National Guard of Ukraine, the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States of America, and everyone who contributed to successfully passing vetting," the Azov Brigade said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
"Eligibility for US assistance will not only increase Azov's combat effectiveness, but, most importantly, will help save the lives and health of the brigade's personnel. This is a new page in the history of our unit.
"Azov is becoming more professional and more effective in defending Ukraine against the invaders."
Newsweek contacted the U.S. State Department and Ukraine's ministry of defense for comment via email.
In April, the Azov Brigade claimed to have "crushed" a column of Russian armored vehicles in northeastern Ukraine.
"The soldiers of the 12th Azov Brigade and the 95th Air Assault Brigade crushed the enemy convoy," the unit said in a Telegram post.
It claimed that 50 Russian fighters were killed in the attack.
Newsweek couldn't independently verify the figures.
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