Denys Prokopenko

Akhmetov recalls final call with Azov commander Redis before Mariupol surrender

Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov said he spoke with Azov commander Denys Prokopenko, call sign "Redis," just 15 minutes before Ukrainian forces evacuated the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, in an interview with The Guardian published on May 31 — his first since Russia's full-scale invasion began.

31 May, 02:03 PM

Soviet-style military hierarchy is Russia’s weak point on battlefield, Azov commander says

Russia is losing on the battlefield because its Soviet-style command system creates “operational paralysis,” according to Brig. Gen. Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov 1st Corps of Ukraine’s National Guard, said in a May 27 opinion column for Ukrainska Pravda titled, We are fighting Russia and we know why it is losing.

27 May, 07:09 PM

No Azov fighters freed in 1,000-for-1,000 swap, says Denys Prokopenko

Azov National Guard commander Denys Prokopenko called the absence of Azov soldiers in the recent 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange with Russia a "shame," expressing outrage on May 25.

25 May 2025, 09:53 PM

Denys Prokopenko